Kensington cyclist accused in Bethesda trail assault fired by MadeToOrder, Inc.

Anthony Brennan III, the Kensington man charged in the June 1 assault of three people posting George Floyd flyers along the Capital Crescent Trail in Bethesda, has been fired from his job. A few hours after Brennan's arrest, his employer - MadeToOrder, Inc. - announced that it had "terminated" him.

MadeToOrder called Brennan's alleged actions "disturbing, wrongful, and completely unacceptable behavior." The Pleasanton, CA firm manufactures custom branded promotional products.

Anthony Brennan III arrested, alleged cyclist in Bethesda trail assault over Black Lives Matter flyers

Anthony Brennan III, 60, of Kensington was arrested by Maryland National Capital Park Police tonight, in the Bethesda trail assault of three people posting Black Lives Matter flyers near the Dalecarlia Tunnel on June 1 around 12:45 PM. Brennan is accused of being the angry cyclist who assaulted one male and two female "young adults," as the Park Police described them - though the video showed the two females were clearly minor children, which is what added fuel to the outrage over the case. 

In a press release, the Park Police said Brennan turned himself in, but only after the police had executed a search warrant at his home and communicated with his attorney. The search for a suspect took a remarkably long time in the Twitter age. Suspects in photos are typically identified, shamed and fired from their jobs within hours at the hands of Twitter "police" these days. That Brennan eluded scrutiny for four days is intriguing.

The long investigation ended up causing major trouble for several people who were falsely accused by armchair detectives on Twitter. A Bethesda man and a retired Montgomery County police officer were among those doxxed and denounced online, while a college professor found her address being posted on social media. None of the three had anything to do with the Capital Crescent Trail incident whatsoever. The delay in identifying a suspect into late Friday night led some to speculate on social media that the alleged assailant might be a police officer, or someone with some pull or power in Montgomery County or the region. 

Brennan has been charged with three counts of second-degree assault.

CAPITAL CRESCENT TRAIL - BETHESDA ROW CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - PHOTOS

TRAIL ON SCHEDULE

TO REOPEN

NEXT WEEK

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

Patience continues to be a virtue around Bethesda Row, as work on the massive Lot 31 construction project continues.

The good news for Capital Crescent Trail users, is that the path is on-schedule to reopen next week.  While the WSSC work was being done, the trail got a fresh paving.  If you've walked by, you've noticed the smell of fresh asphalt in the air.

This week, crews are installing the overhead protection to ensure joggers and cyclists don't get hit by a falling Acme anvil, or meet some other Wile E. Coyote-esque fate, while trying to excercise during the 2-year construction project.

This cagelike superstructure will protect
trail users from falling objects when the CCT reopens

BETHESDA HIT-AND-RUN UPDATE: VICTIM'S FAMILY SPEAKS - EXCLUSIVE!

"WE'RE VERY KEEN

TO CATCH

THE VILLAIN"

POLICE NOW AWARE OF

POTENTIAL SPEED

CAMERA EVIDENCE

Another Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row Exclusive

The driver who fled the scene of Friday morning's collision with a cyclist on Massachusetts Avenue is still at large.  Meanwhile, the victim's husband is asking the community to help find the culprit who left his wife "bleeding and unconscious in the road."

Tom Skinner has posted a message on a community message group, asking fellow citizens to spread the description of the suspect's minivan among neighbors, and on any local listservs they subscribe to.

That minivan - late model, dark blue, and with passenger-side damage - was last seen speeding towards the District on Massachusetts around 10:30 AM Friday, August 24.

Skinner's account of Jodi Grant's injuries suggests they are more serious than the public was made aware of Friday.   Grant will require several surgeries, and has neck and back fractures.  She is expected to eventually make a full recovery, however.

When I heard about this incident Friday, I immediately thought of the portable speed camera that is located just south of the crash site, near Massachusetts and Cromwell Drive.  If the minivan had been speeding away from the scene, the camera should have a clear photo of the tag.  I contacted the police, and yesterday received word that my tip was passed on to the investigating officers.

Hopefully, the camera got it, but if the minivan had not accelerated to 47 MPH by that point, there won't be a picture.

This is a terrible situation all around.  Accidents can happen to anyone, but to flee the scene with someone in the roadway is unconscionable.

Pass on the minivan description - vague as it is - and let's hope someone happened to witness this, or knows some helpful information to break the case.

If you contact police, the case number is #12041932.