A 73-year-old male cyclist in Utah received a court fine after throwing a angry tantrum on a young driver before yanking open the man’s car door in the parking lot of a skate park and calling the police on him.
The drama ended days later with the 22-year-old driver getting off the hook while the older man was charged with disorderly conduct.
Gary Peacock was ordered to pay $160. Pierce Kempton, the man in the car, saw his $130 fine dismissed after he was initially accused of passing a cyclist too closely.
Peacock tried to claim Kempton got “too close” to him, however dashcam footage showed the driver swerving out of the way to create more room for the biker to pass.
The incident took place on Sept. 28, and four days later Kempton took the dashcam video to Park City headquarters to have prosecutors see what happened for themselves.
It didn’t turn out well for Peacock.
More than a week after the incident, Kempton posted a separate video of the altercation to social media, where it quickly went viral.
On October 11, Park City’s Attorney’s Office threw the case out after reviewing footage from Kempton’s vehicle, showing Peacock as the aggressor.
“The content of this video informed the prosecutor’s decision to file a motion for dismissal,” said Park City Municipal spokesperson Clayton Scrivner, according to KPCW.
Peacock initially claimed that Kempton failed to give him the legally required three feet of space while passing him on a narrow section of Park Avenue.
Dashcam footage reveals that Kempton did steer left before passing, but the angle doesn’t clearly capture the exact distance between him and the cyclist.
@pezkempton Part 2 tonight sorry for the delay. Heres dashcam footage
♬ original sound – Ak40pezin
Having had enough of the confrontation, the driver announced he was about to pull off.
That’s when Peacock erupted and opened the man’s door and attempting to detain the driver without legal authority, saying he was trying to prevent Kempton from fleeing the scene.
“You’re not leaving! You’re not going anywhere until the police come,” Peacock protested.
The driver abruptly closed the door again, but the old man yanked it back open again, leading to a brief struggle, with Kempton imploring, “Dude, stop.”
Peacock kept repeating, “You’re not going anywhere.”
At one point, Kempton asked Peacock, “Why are you so cranky?”
“I’m riding a bike, I have more rights than you!” Peacock shouted. “If I have it my way, you’re going to jail. I’ll press charges against you.”
The old man then got his cellphone out and called Park City police.
“Yeah, I’ve got a very aggressive teenager here who almost hit me in the car and now he won’t give me his last name, and now he’s trying to leave” Peacock told the dispatcher while sounding out of breath.
Peacock then accused Kempton of bumping him with the car and quickly declared he was prepared to testify against him in court. He also cited the state’s traffic ordinance requiring vehicles to maintain three feet of distance from cyclists.
Peacock continues to paint Kempton as aggressive, calling him a jerk and a–hole to this dispatch. In contrast, a very calm Kempton asks a bystander to be his witness and provides a summary of what’s taken place thus far. Peacock in turns demands the other man leaves the scene in fear for his safety.
“The other guys won’t leave,” he says. “He’s standing there but I don’t feel safe with both of them there. These two are trying to intimidate me.”
Before long sirens could be heard wailing from afar. When police arrived they informed Peacock that he was not permitted to open Kempton’s car door or detain the driver and he was issued a citation for disorderly conduct.
Later, Peacock expressed regret for his actions, telling KPCW that his outburst was partly due to previous close calls with vehicles. He added that this was the first time he had ever confronted a driver about their behavior on the road, even though Kempton was cleared of any wrongdoing.
@pezkempton Part 2. We both went on our own ways after the cops cited us. Hoping to be able to show you guys the body cam footage.
♬ original sound – Ak40pezin
Kempton kept his over ten thousand followers on TikTok in the loop with updates. He shared what appeared to be an email from the city prosecutor who informed him that no additional charges could be filed against Peacock since he’s already paid the fine. The remaining option for Kempton is to file a civil suit. It’s unclear if he’ll pursue a legal case but he’s trying to obtain the bodycam footage in the meantime.
Kempton’s viral incident brought thousands of reactions across social media. One X user gave Peacock the “Male Karen of the Month award.”
