A couple of Michigan dads just wanted to enjoy a summer day outside with their children recently when things took a discouraging turn. The unnamed dads got into a confrontation with a bicyclist who apparently didn't like the fact that small children were walking on Kent Trails in Kent County and evidently getting in his way.
The aggressive biker reportedly targeted one of the dads and a verbal and physical confrontation ensued, ending with the cyclist yelling at the dad to put his kid "on a leash."
Video of the disagreement went viral, and TikTok user @tizzyent picked up the story to help identify the alleged aggressor. According to WOOD, police tracked down the cyclist, and the incident is under investigation. The fathers are just saddened their day outside was ruined.
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The dads were both pushing strollers down the trail.
The fathers spoke with WOOD but asked not to be identified. One of the dads was visiting from Detroit with his 2-year-old child, and the other dad was from Kent County. He was enjoying the day with his 3-year-old and 4-month-old. The dads pushed strollers while the toddlers climbed in and out and ran around on the trails.
"We had made sure to stop for other people who were on bikes. We have been pretty aware of that. We had to pull over to the side, grab our kids, hold their hands just to make sure they go by," the visiting friend who recorded the video told WOOD. "We had actually just done that for a couple of other cyclists when this man approached us."
One of the little kids apparently sat down in the middle of the trail.
The Kent County man told WOOD his son plopped down in the middle of the trail as a cyclist approached. He said he wanted his son to stay put so he didn't run out in front of the cyclist and get hurt. The cyclist allegedly got angry and began yelling at the child.
"Me and my friend are just basically like, Dude, come on. Like, this is a 3-year-old. Like, sorry, but it's going to happen," the boy's father said.
His friend added, "(The cyclist) said some profanities directed at the (boy), which seemed very inappropriate. We turned, and I threw up my arm and was like, 'What's that all about?' Then that's when he turned around and came back."
Things reportedly got physical.
According to the Kent County dad, the cyclist turned around and approached the group a second time.
"I'm holding my arm out to (gesture that he should) stay back from us. You know, he kind of knocks it out of the way and then that's when he swings at me," the man said, per WOOD. "Hits me right in the side of my head here, bounces my head into my son's head."
His friend began recording to deter the cyclist from additional attacks.
"When I was taking the video, I was a little bit scared as if maybe he would turn on me and do something," the friend explained to WOOD. "I thought if he saw that I was recording, he would realize, 'I don't want to be on video doing anything that would get me in trouble.' Hopefully he would just walk away."
The cyclist appeared to say something demeaning.
A video of the cyclist shows the man telling the father how to parent his kid. He can be heard saying, "Why don't you put him on a leash, like a dog?"
The dad said the interaction bothered his son.
"His biggest reaction is, 'The big man hit me.' And I'm doing my best to say, 'That's not what we do,'" the father said. "Whether this guy actually hit him directly or not, his hit to me forced my son to get hit," WOOD reported.
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The dad's video quickly went viral.
The dad originally posted the video to social media but took it down because the attention proved to be too much. Then @tizzyent picked up the story, and his video has been viewed 2.9 million times.
People couldn't believe what they saw and wanted the cyclist to be identified.
One person wrote, "I hope he is found! I'm just miles away from Grandville and the Kent trails are literally in my backyard, my kids are out there daily!"
A wheelchair user chimed in, commenting, "Not a cyclist, but as someone who uses a wheelchair I can confirm it's easier and safer to go around someone who isn't moving then someone who's trying to get out of your way."
Many praised the dad.
"The control it took for that dad to de-escalate the situation, putting the safety of his kids first. Man's a saint, not sure I would have that much control myself ❤️ ," another comment reads.
Police told WOOD the cyclist has been identified and the incident is being investigated.
