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Charlotte police surprise young man with a new bicycle

CHARLOTTE, NC — It was hard to miss the enormous smile at Performance Bicycle Tuesday when Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers stepped in to help a young man with a mobility problem.

Anthony Arnold thought he was getting a bicycle repair, but he got much more.

"I've got something for you. Let me show you real quick," Adisson Berry with Performance Bicycle told him. "Think you ride that one? What cha think man? That work?"

Anthony's mother says he used to ride 20 miles a day, but he hasn't had a bike for the past two weeks because he got in a serious crash.  His old bike broke down, and the brakes didn't work. Then, he accidentally slammed into a CMPD cruiser.

Officers tried to fix his bike, but there were too many problems. Tuesday, they found a generous store owner who gave him a free bicycle.

"It's nice to see someone who really needs a bike and that's how they get around, so it's really cool to help out and give him something like that," said Berry.

Anthony's mother says he may not have any other words to describe what the gift means to him, but his smile says all she needs to know.

"He's autistic and this I think makes him feel more mobile, more able to do things, he's not able to drive a car, so this is his car right here, his bike," she explained.

Anthony says he already has big plans for his new ride.

"I'm going to ride the bike, ride it to my girlfriend's house, my girlfriend's house," he said laughing.

"I'm glad to see him happy," said his mom.

Now that it's warming up, police say they want to help all cyclists and pedestrians stay safe, so they are preparing to roll out a new initiative soon to educate everyone.

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