Wichita police cracking down on stunt-riding groups

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Wichita Police Department Sergeant Jason Bryant said on Tuesday that the department is paying extra attention to stunt-riding motorcycle groups that he believes create dangerous traffic conditions.

Bryant singled out the Dub-City Hooligans as one group causing issues, but they’re far from the only one. Bryant said that in seven days of the stunt-riding project, police have made 17 arrests and 17 impounds. Police have had to find creative ways to work around potential setbacks.

“A motorcycle is much more agile than a police vehicle, and also the threat to public safety in conducting a police chase for a traffic ordinance, we’re not going to chase these guys,” Bryant said. “So we’ve had to develop tactics that we can use that have been really successful in combating this particular problem.”

Bryant said stunt-riders are known to pop wheelies, run red lights, stop traffic and ride on sidewalks near the river and through Riverside. He has no problem with the riders themselves, as long as they’re playing it safe.

“I’d like them to remember that 90 percent of the motorcycle accidents that I’ve worked in my career have not been the fault of the motorcycle rider,” Bryant said. “It’s been other vehicles not understanding what that motorcycle is going to do next. And when you’re stunting, when you’re doing wheelies and lane-splitting and doing these type of activities, drivers do not know what to expect with you and it’s high probability that you’re going to end up in an accident.”

The increased focus on stunt-riders comes as Chase Faimon, awaiting trial for second-degree murder after a deadly hit-and run in which he struck and killed a pedestrian while doing a wheelie in February, was arrested late last month for stunt-riding.

Faimon was arrested on May 27 after officers cautiously followed him into the parking garage of Gander Mountain.

“That pedestrian had no idea this motorcycle was coming in the manner that it was; his actions were completely reckless,” Bryant said of 48-year-old Kristine Sheffield, who was killed in the February crash. “We don’t want to see that kind of stuff going on here and that’s why we started this project to try and keep this under control.”

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