U.S. man denies he's jogger who pushed woman into traffic
An American man has denied pushing a woman into the path of an oncoming bus on a London bridge while out jogging earlier this year, issuing a strong rejection of the allegations and claiming solid proof that he was in the U.S. at the time.
Eric Bellquist was arrested this week on suspicion of being the man seen in blurry security camera video taken on London's Putney Bridge in May. In spite of the low video quality, the clip appears to show a jogger shoving an unsuspecting pedestrian off the sidewalk and into the road, where a bus swerves to narrowly avoid hitting her.
London's Metropolitan Police announced on Thursday that a 50-year-old man had been arrested at a home in the well-healed Chelsea area of the city on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. He was later released on bail.
On Friday, Bellquist's lawyers, Duncan Lewis solicitors, confirmed his arrested in connection with the bridge incident, but said had "been wrongly implicated in this matter; he categorically denies being the individual concerned and has irrefutable proof that he was in the United States at the time of the incident."
The law firm said it expected a "swift resolution to this wholly untrue allegation."
Bellquist, who has worked for a private equity firm in London for more than a decade, has not been charged with any crime in connection with the incident. The police investigation is continuing.
Police said the bus stopped after the incident and passengers rushed to the 33-year-old woman's aid.
About 15 minutes after the incident, the victim saw the jogger crossing back across the bridge, police said. She tried speaking with him, but he kept jogging.
Police said Thursday's arrest followed a "good response" from the public to the video.
