In the case of Ian Ziering’s “alarming” New Year’s Eve altercation with a “minibike gang” on Hollywood Boulevard, police reportedly have “early leads,” possibly from people associated with the gang who have freely posted videos of the daytime melee on social media to argue that he was the aggressor.
A Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson confirmed to CNN that the incident is under investigation. TMZ, meanwhile, said that the leads probably come from surveillance cameras, operating “up and down” that section of Hollywood Boulevard, where the “Beverly Hills, 90210” star stepped out of his Mercedes, with his daughter inside, to confront people riding on mini-motorcycles.
The skirmish also was captured by bystanders with cell phones, with some videos making their way to the accounts of self-described minibikers who may have been present during the confrontation and who suggest that the “Beverly Hills 90210” actor provoked the fight.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 01: (FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Ian Ziering (C) and guests attend iHeartRadio 102.7 KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2023 Presented by Capital One at The Kia Forum on December 01, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for iHeartRadio)
In his own Instagram post, Ziering said he was stuck in traffic on Hollywood Boulevard when his car, a Mercedes GLE SUV, was “approached aggressively” by one of these bikers, “leading to unsettling confrontation.” Ziering said he got out of his car to assess the damage, but the situation quickly escalated “into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself.”
It hasn’t been confirmed that the fight started after Ziering’s car was struck, and whether one of the bikers purposely hit his car, or it was an accident. One video clip shows the 59-year-old actor jump out of his car, approach a biker stopped in front of his car and possibly pushing the biker off their bike, prompting other bikers to rush in and surround the actor.
Clips also show Ziering grappling with another biker in a green helmet, who is shorter than himself and who wearing pink jacket; several biker accounts said this person was a woman. Video also shows that Ziering escaped the bikers by running across busy Hollywood Boulevard to the other side of the street. Ziering apparently left his daughter inside the Mercedes, while TMZ said video shows bikers using their helmets to pound on his car, damaging its windshield.
Ziering was subsequently seen consoling his crying daughter, according to footage obtained by TMZ, Page Six said.
While Ziering reported that he and his daughter “were completely unscathed,” he said the incident left him “deeply concerned about the growing boldness of such groups who disrupt public safety and peace.” He said the situation highlights “a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets and the need for effective law enforcement responses to such behavior.”
Ziering also pointed out that that there a groups who “freely engaged in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient.”
Ziering may be referring to large groups of mini-motorcycle enthusiasts, who get together to ride their bikes around Los Angeles and who share videos of their rides on social media. For example, there is the 605 Minibike Gang, whose Instagram account has more than 60,000 followers. The account shares videos of bikers in large packs riding along city streets and highways, with some popping wheelies or performing other stunts. One post from November was captioned: “It was a fun day riding with our boys, celebration of life!”
Incidentally, someone wearing a 605 Minibike Gang T-shirt was present during the altercation with the “Sharknado” actor,” video shows. The 605 Minibike Gang account also shared more video of the Ziering altercation on Instagram Story Wednesday, asserting that it looked like Ziering’s car “was never touched” by a biker, prior to the fight breaking out.
Police sources told TMZ that Ziering’s altercation will most likely be turned over to the Los Angeles County District Attorney. It could be a case of felony vandalism if his car suffered more than $1,000 in damage. As for the fight itself, anyone arrested in the incident probably would be charged with a misdemeanor because no one was seriously hurt.
Police confirmed Ziering’s concern that his encounter with the minibike gang was “not an isolated incident,” TMZ reported. They warned motorists who ever find themselves in a similar situation, to stay in their car, call 911 and remain calm “because mob mentality can escalate very quickly in these situations.”
