Felony charge dropped in bicycle case

A felony aggravated assault charge against Patrick Michael King, related to an incident involving an alleged altercation with a bicyclist, has been dropped.

King was found guilty of a lesser charge of property destruction.

The changes to King’s charges are the result of a plea agreement in which the state agreed to dismiss the felony charge and, in exchange, King pled guilty to the misdemeanor.

On February 11, a Crook County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched to Beulah for an incident involving a bicyclist and a four wheeler. As the deputy arrived, he was advised by Dispatch that the four wheeler had left the scene and the cyclist was walking eastbound.

According to the deputy’s report, the cyclist was refusing to stop as he was in fear that the person on the four wheeler was going to come back and hurt him.

The deputy reports that he observed a male subject with a blue and yellow bike that had significant damage, including to the rear wheel. The alleged victim told the deputy that he had been riding his bike on Redwater Road when he encountered cattle that ranchers were moving through the area.

The victim alleged that he made it around all but two of the cattle. Ahead of him, he told the deputy, were two people in vehicles trying to turn two bulls around.

According to the victim, the bulls were not cooperating and went through a fence. After this happened, he claimed that another male subject later identified as Patrick Michael King came traveling up a private road at a high rate of speed.

King allegedly came out onto Redwater Road and told the victim to get his “f—ing bike” out of there, then rammed his bike while he was still pedaling.

The victim claimed the four wheeler got stuck on the bike, pushing it forward and destroying the rear wheel, tire, tube and gear components. King allegedly had to put the four wheeler into reverse to get off the bike.

A second deputy who spoke with King reported that he admitted getting upset at the cyclist and running over his back tire. The bike itself showed significant damage.

The state dismissed the felony count of aggravated assault and battery. King was found guilty on one misdemeanor count of property destruction under $1000.

King was given a suspended sentence of 60 days and ordered to pay a $100 fine and $3100 in restitution.