Gun Pulled on George Hincapie and his Son

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Okay, I’m out riding and saw the comments on my phone and have to believe that some of you guys researched this enough to confirm it isn’t George that posted this, so this post is complete bullshit.

*Okay, another update now.  I guess it is true.  So weird.  So, disregard the above paragraph.

I saw this Facebook post by George Hincapie that says he had an encounter with a motorist on Paris Mountain and the guy stopped and pulled a gun and him and his 8 year old son.

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I’m not sure what to think about this.  Obviously, my initial impression like everyone else, that it is horrific.  But, there must be something else going on here.  His reaction seems screwy.

If this happened to me, in the exact same circumstances, me, out riding with my 8 year old son, I would have immediately dialed 911 and had a police officer out there as soon as possible. He was with his child.  How did he know the guy wouldn’t come back and do more than threaten him.   The guy had already tried to assault him.  But, it doesn’t seem like George did this.

Instead he posted a photo on Facebook, warning “his” cycling community to be careful incase they run into  this guy.

Plus, the photo has the license plate number of the car the guy was driving.  Do you think he wants one of his Facebook friends to help out in this matter, whatever that might be?

I can’t think of a reason in the world that George wouldn’t have called the police unless something else is going on.  Well, I can.  Maybe he just wants to take matters into his own hands.  Or the hands of his posse or something.  If he wanted to do it himself, he surely wouldn’t have posted the picture on Facebook.

Any other ideas?

35 thoughts on “Gun Pulled on George Hincapie and his Son

  1. Roger Lomshek

    Agreed. WTF wouldn’t you call 911 immediately after the nut job left? I can see not calling while he’s in front of you for fear of sending the nut ball into orbit but I’d be on the phone immediately after they left especially if I have a photo.

     
  2. Clifford

    Depends on where he is. This may not have been an accurate feeling at the time, but I recall being threatened and nearly assaulted by locals outside of Lecompton, and getting the idea that the sheriff in that town would have likely sided with the drunk, shovey 50-something in a pickup rather than a 20-year old scrawny kid in cycling clothes. In fact, I recall being dismissed by at least one law enforcement officer in response to road rage in NE Kansas back in those days (mid-90s). Maybe things are different now, but I doubt it.

    Actually, I recall one group ride with you, Steve, on which a gun was pulled after you chased the driver down (he nearly ran us into a ditch). This was in pre-cell phone days, but I don’t think any of us even bothered to take the guy’s license plate number and contact authorities.

     
  3. numbnuts

    hopefully he called the cops, the license plate is right there.

    I had a gun pulled on me in the park we all bike in (thousands of riders), I called the cops right away then called the media to warn other cyclists. This guy had a fake uniform on and a gun. Said, I’ve been mandated by the park police to put you under arrest, pull over. I pulled over, he then said -get on your knees and pulled out the handcuffs. I said to myself, this isn’t right… got on my bike and took off. Found another cyclist going into the area and warned him. We then called the cops, around 5 cop cars came to the area and blocked off all exits out of the park. He was never found. The media didn’t want to cover the story, but I told them it was for the safety of other riders. So, they posted it the next day on the front page of the Sun.
    I hope this guy does the same… for the protection of others.
    There are some nut cases out there.

    I could see a cyclist pulling a gun on a vehicle though. A vehicle can be used as a weapon in its own right, had that happen to me many times before where a person (even in one case a little old lady) threatened to run me down at a light etc…

    Some nut cases out there, this guy seems like one of them…

    If someone tried to run over a kid I was biking with, I’d probably chase after him and present some evil on his azz…

     
  4. Clifford

    had at least one training buddy back in the day that carried a piece. Thought it was weird and a bad idea even then, but I’m sure it’s not at all rare.

     
  5. numbnuts

    had that happen before, some drunk hit me at an intersection. Could clearly tell the guy was loaded. Cops didn’t charge him. Cops actually blamed me, yet the guy was turning left on a green as I was going straight. The guy managed to convince the cops it was my fault for going to fast through the intersection. Good con artists I guess, I was mending to my injuries as I was in shock… never got a voice in. Cops do protect the instigator many of times I suspect, esp depending upon the feeling in the area on cyclists… many areas, the media hypes up the hate on for cyclists being on the road. This might be a town like that?
    where the hicks have a hate on for cyclists… including the cops

     
  6. Andrew Willis

    I don’t think that’s George’s real FB profile. If you type George Hincapie into Search on FB the top one has a blue check next to it. The profile pic for the one in the screen shot of the motorist is on an account that doesn’t seem to have any friends or posts as far as I can tell. I think it’s fake.

     
  7. RGTR

    This is floating around FB as a fake. One guy has actually located a photo from an earlier incident in NY or somewhere. Possible fake.

     
  8. Bryan Barber

    If someone points a gun at your child(threatens their life) they should die! Don’t want to pass judgement on Georgey because I don’t have all the facts but, I hope more of us would have the strength of conviction and sense of justice to handle these matters as men and cyclist. The police in virtually every city in the US will side with the motorist.

     
  9. Ken

    Clifford

    I agree that this would be a likely possibility, at least where I live. The police seem to have (around here) the “manly man” thing turned up to 11 at all times (even the female cops!), and they seem to loathe cyclists (and runners and anyone else not conforming to their somewhat narrow worldview, one that does not include colorful lycra togs and shaved legs). But the one wild card here is the 8-year-old. If the police came out and got a legitimate statement from the child (even if Daddy did drop an F-bomb on the driver, which is highly likely), pulling a gun on a child is lowest of the low – and a clear felony. On the other hand, Hincapie may not want to put the child through all that. Hincapie has the plate number; he can still make that call. That stature of limitations won’t run out just because a day or two goes by.

     
  10. James Thomas

    I had a similar reaction to this last night. I live in Greenville, SC, and have been confronted by a few angry motorists on the Paris Mtn/Altamont climb over the years. I don’t think Hincapie made this story up, but I am uncomfortable with the way the incident was presented in his original Facebook post. I saw quite a few “vigilante justice” type comments on social media last night, and even worse, armchair detective work that seemed to be leading down the path of identifying the wrong person (based on a common name on the vehicle registration). That is what really concerns me about turning something like this over to the internet before the authorities have a chance to investigate.

    I know that feeling of anger when a driver endangers my life (and if my family is endangered it is even worse). It is best not to post at that moment though. If he wanted to share this as a warning on social media, it might have been best to let people know that he had already reported the incident to the Sheriff’s Department. Probably should have given them a chance to fully investigate before sharing the license plate photo as well.

     
  11. Steve Tilford Post author

    Okay, I’m not near a computer, so I can’t check on whether this is fake or not. I had no reason to assume it is fake, why would someone do that? But people do the strangest things for their own amusement.

     
  12. James Thomas

    It is not a fake. That was a real post from Hincapie’s Facebook page (his personal one, not the public fan page). The Greenville County Sheriffs Office is currently investigating, so hopefully the facts will come out soon.

     
  13. J. Cochran

    People do “do the strangest things for their own amusement.” Steve, I have watched you race for years and even raced with you. Many friends in Iowa City follow your blog. I was disappointed to watch you snub one of our volunteer crossing guards as she protected a female elite rider coming down the finishing stretch on Sunday. The guard had the tape stretched across the crossing, and you lifted it and said, “I’m ok.” and then proceeded to cut in front of an elite women racer. I know you probably had enough time to cross, but it was a distraction to the women rider, and a big FU to our Iowa City volunteer (hopefully she will volunteer next year.) It’s hard to get people to respect cyclist when they don’t even respect each other. As I told the story to a few local cyclist, one relayed that they witnessed you purposefully run a red light in Iowa City too. I don’t know if that is true, but can’t imagine why it would be made up. “People do the strangest things.”

     
  14. James Thomas

    The story on Cycling Today that used a photo from the incident in New York was misleading and poor journalism, but it has nothing to do with the fact that Hincapie did post the license plate image yesterday.

     
  15. Sean YD

    One page is his “personal” page. The other is a “personal brand” page.

    George posted this as a follow-up:

    “Guys , this happen (sic) a few weeks ago. My intent for the post was for all of you to just try and be aware of this driver, and of course please be careful out there.”

     
  16. RGTR

    If the volunteer was a millennial she’ll most likely be butthurt and will start a movement over the deal. When your of that generation it’s hard when you don’t get the respect you so much deserve.

     
  17. E Peogh

    I just visted Greenville over the weekend and rode up that hill. It’s a nice one. Saw a few cars not too many. Must be a tough 8 yr old to ride that climb!

     
  18. Simon Rook

    James seems to have not actually checked Facebook, that post isn’t on George’s account but on a spoof account using his name, as good at investigating at CT journalists.

     
  19. James Thomas

    Simon, I saw his original Facebook post (not a screen shot) last night before he removed it. You keep referring to his official page, but this was posted on his personal Facebook account (the one with the profile picture of him wearing a hat). If you are not one of his 1070 friends, or a friend of a friend, you can’t see his private posts. That is how Facebook works, but go on believing that it’s a hoax account if you must.

     
  20. KrakatoaEastofJava

    I’ve had more than my fair share of negative encounters with motorists. Plenty of mullet-sporting, primer-grey-driving, Marlboro-smoking bubbas among them.

    But the only time I’ve ever had any of them stop for a mano-y-mano confrontation is when I did something to agitate the situation (beyond just being a cyclist out on “their” road). Something like flipping them off, Italian salutes, asking their female guests for their phone number (or a handjob). All kinds of stuff.

    I wonder what Georgie did to piss this guy off enough to get a GAT flashed in his face?

     
  21. RadRenner

    Really? You’re going to snipe Steve on his blog for something this trivial? And somebody said that he ran a red light on his bicycle, too? What a total asshole that Steve guy must be.

     
  22. Steve Tilford Post author

    J – I never “snubbed” one of “your” volunteers. I remember the situation clearly. The volunteer was looking the other way, talking to the volunteer across the road when I rode up. She had her tape down and the other side had the tape up. I saw the rider on the course and it was absolutely no distraction to her. Not even on her radar screen. There was no harm done here.

    On the red light deal, for sure I ran a red light in Iowa City. In Kansas the law is, as it should be in all states, that if you’re on a bike, you can cross an intersection against a red if the intersection is clear. I think that is a good law and is safer for cyclists. You might disagree.

     
  23. Sean YD

    Just to clarify, Steve:

    Kansas’s “dead red” law allows bicycles – and motorcycles – to continue through a red light if it does not change in a “reasonable” amount of time. While what is “reasonable” is a vague measurement at best, here is the exact wording of the law put on the books in 2011.

    8. Traffic-control signal legend.
    (4) The driver of a motorcycle or a person riding a bicycle facing any steady red signal, which fails to change to a green light within a reasonable period of time because of a signal malfunction or because the signal has failed to detect the arrival of the motorcycle or bicycle because of its size or weight, shall have the right to proceed subject to the rules stated herein. After stopping, the driver or rider shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicle in or near the intersection or approaching on a roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard during the time such driver or rider is moving across or within the intersection or junction of roadways. Such motorcycle or bicycle traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.

    Note carefully the two words in bold.

     
  24. Steve Tilford Post author

    Sean – I know the law. I also know a bunch of bike cops that say that as long as you yield to vehicles in the intersection, the time frame is pretty much zero for a reasonable amount of time. But that is the way of most laws. You can interpret some many ways. Plus, I never said I don’t run stop signs or red lights. I was ticketed for the first time this year in Oceanside CA. I am not sure I’ve ever met a racing cyclist that actually stops at all stop signs. But there may be one out there.

     
  25. euro

    I wouldn’t know even though I live in Greenville. George unfriended me long ago due to “disagreements” we have had over his use of medical products to enhance his performance over his long career…

     
  26. mks

    The problem with your logic Steve is that in Iowa we don’t have your Kansas law (or your interpretation of the law) on running a red light so when motorists, who might be on the “love / hate” fence of cyclists see you break the law they become part of the “hater” camp. One bad apple can spoil the barrel for the rest of us. So please, when in Iowa, try to act like a responsible Iowan.

     
  27. James Thomas

    I just heard from George, and he confirmed that he did file a police report immediately after the incident. I won’t share everything he said. That’s up to him if he chooses to release a statement, but I better understand his point of view. He didn’t expect all the press on a private post, and just wants to get back to riding with his kid. I definitely understand that.

     
  28. Tom Steele

    Spoke with his wife, she says it was real but he would rather it just die out. Didn’t expect it to take off like this… So it appears to have been true. Not sure what to make of the rest of the details. But it did happen according to George – not a hoax. So be careful out there.

     

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