He had stopped his motorcycle for just a moment when he was grabbed from behind and thrown from his bike. The 26-year-old didn’t know what was going on or why he was being attacked, but he did know one thing. Someone was picking up his motorcycle and getting ready to ride off, and this would not stand.

This Is Why You Don’t Mess With A Motorcyclist

It had been a long day for the 31-year-old suspected truck thief running from Marana, Arizona police. Not only had he allegedly taken a pickup truck, he had also allegedly caused a multi-vehicle accident with injuries, and left the scene. The dire nature of his circumstances were closing in, and he needed a way out. That’s when he saw a motorcycle, and got the wrong idea.

Jumping out of the truck, the 31-year-old thief threw the motorcyclist off the bike, and began to try and escape on it. It would prove to be a big mistake. The 26-year-old rider was a veteran who served in Afghanistan, and as soon as the former soldier saw that his attacker had no weapon, his training kicked in.

The veteran used the armor in his motorcycle gear and his helmet for protection as he ripped the other man off his bike and went toe-to-toe with the attacker. The battle was brief, but the assailant quickly retreated to the truck he had tried to abandon. As he escaped, the truck thief ran over the veteran’s Kawasaki ZX-6R, totaling the bike. Marana PD caught up with the suspected thief not long after, and he crashed while trying to get away on I-10. The police have charged the 31-year-old with leaving the scene of a crash with injuries, aggravated assault, endangerment, theft of a motor vehicle and illegally possessing a firearm.

Motorcyclists are a rare breed. Some wear armor, some have military and/or law enforcement experience, but all of them are spectacular people you shouldn’t mess with. This veteran is now grateful that he will get to see his son again, but he doesn’t recommend that anyone try to do what he did. You could easily get hurt without the proper training or if your assailant has a weapon. A motorcycle can be replaced, but your life cannot.

A message from the motorcycle attorneys at the Metier Law Firm—We’re the lawyers that ride!