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NYPD Undercover Charged in Road-Rage Case Set to Go Before Grand Jury

By Trevor Kapp | October 11, 2013 3:39pm
 Four of the motorcyclists involved in the wild chase of an SUV last month appeared in court Friday morning.
Bikers Appear in Court
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MANHATTAN CRIMINAL COURT — The undercover NYPD detective and another motorcyclist charged in the biker road-rage case are scheduled to testify before a grand jury next week, prosecutors said.

Det. Wojciech Braszczok, who appeared in court Friday for a preliminary hearing sporting a stylish gray suit and his Mohawk shorn off, was silent as he stood before Judge Steven Statsinger—but could be indicted as early as Monday.

The former undercover, who infiltrated the Occupy Wall Street movement for the NYPD's Intelligence Division, and co-defendant Clint Caldwell will take the stand next week, Assistant District Attorney Samantha Turino said

“The counsel is in touch with the District Attorney’s office, so we’ll schedule that accordingly,” she said.

Motorcyclists Assault SUV Driver After Chase
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YouTube/Daphne Avalon

Braszczok left court covering his face with a gray hoody, his lawyer, John Arlia, in tow. Both declined comment.

Braszczok, a 10-year NYPD veteran, initially told his superiors that he was not involved in the vicious attack of SUV driver Alexian Lien on Sept. 29, but he was arrested earlier this week for criminal mischief and rioting after video captured him banging on Lien's Range Rover. The charges were upgraded to include assault and gang assault charges at his arraignment on Wednesday.

Fellow bikers Reginald Chance and Craig Wright were indicted Friday for their roles in pummeling Lien in front of his wife and 2-year-old daughter.

Lien ran over motorcyclist Edwin Mieses on Sept. 29 after a pack of bikers surrounded him on the West Side Highway. Mieses may never walk again after suffering a broken spine and two broken legs.

Chance, who flipped photographers both middle fingers during his arraignment over the weekend, and Caldwell stood silently during their appearances and declined comment after.

Caldwell’s lawyer, Raymond Colon, downplayed his client's role in the beating and said his client will tell his version of events next week.

He later added that his client, a married man with a kid on the way, was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“A picture is worth 1,000 words. There’s no video that shows him assaulting,” Colon said.

"I don't want to taint the driver. He probably felt threatened," he added. "But Mr. Caldwell isn't the cause of that threat or that assault or that harassment."