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Chattanooga Teen Hanging Out of Truck, Hurling Racial Slurs, Attacks Unsuspecting Black Cyclist 

WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

Chattanooga Police are searching for a teenage suspect accused of throwing an object at a cyclist Monday and calling him a racial slur.

Authorities were able to identify the suspect as a 16-year-old passenger after speaking with the driver of the vehicle in question, local station WRCB-TV reported. The police haven’t yet located the teen but issued a warrant in juvenile court.

The order comes after Chattanooga man Charles Peacock said he was assaulted while riding his bicycle. Three cameras on his helmet captured the frightening ordeal, as two white men hurled racial slurs at him as they drove past.

“It was just uncalled for,” Peacock told the station.

The cyclist said he took his usual route down Hickory Valley Road last Monday when he noticed a black Ford Edge SUV pull up close behind him. Footage from his helmet cams showed two white men hanging from the passenger side window and the sunroof.

“He was about 20 to 25 yards behind me,” Peacock recalled. “He was already out of the window from his waist, drawn back with the object in his hand, getting ready to throw it.”

Peacock said he felt something hit his arm as the SUV passed. It appeared to be an empty bottle of some sort, but the suspect threw it hard enough to leave a severe bruise on the cyclist’s left arm.

“After they threw it, they said I got that (expletive) N-word,” he told the station.

“I couldn’t get a good look at [the suspect],” Peacock added. “Like I said, my main focus right then was keeping control of that bike and keep from running out into traffic and getting hit.”

The Chattanooga man said this isn’t the first time he’s been called a racial slur while riding his bike, but actually being assaulted isn’t something he’s experienced before. He said he’s not going to let the suspects’ racist antics drive him out of town, however.

“They’re not going to run me away. I’m going to keep riding,” Peacock said.

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