From Staff Reports 

Claude Donald Watson pled guilty to simple assault for punching a bicyclist in the face, according to Bunbombe County District Attorney Todd Williams.

 On the afternoon of Sept. 27, Watson had been trailing a cyclist in a Dodge Ram pickup. When he stopped at the intersection of Sand Hill and Sardis roads, he reportedly got out of the vehicle and appeared to hit the cyclist. The incident was recorded by a video camera in a commercial vehicle approaching the scene.

Watson was arrested two days after investigators reviewed the video.

 He was sentenced April 10 to 45 days in prison, but he could be out in three days if he meets the terms of his probation. Watson was also fined $25 and is responsible for $320 in court costs and $115 in attorney fees. 

The aforementioned is on top of $276 he already paid for victim restitution. The cyclist’s injuries were described as minor.

 In North Carolina, bicycles have a legal right to travel roads, and Mike Sule, executive director of Asheville on Bikes, said the footage showed the victim had been riding legally. 

Sule said in a statement that he wants to broadcast the video footage and encourage other cyclists to “tell their stories” so issues may be identified and addressed.