Dirt bike rider Cody Heron, seen attacking mom, smashing windshield in viral video, sentenced to prison
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A man seen in a viral video smashing a driver's rear windshield and pointing a gun at her in front of her children was sentenced to 1-4 years in state prison Wednesday.
Cody Heron, 27, went viral after a video filmed near Philadelphia's City Hall in October 2023 showed him getting off a dirt bike and confronting Nikki Bullock, a delivery driver who was in traffic next to Heron and several other dirt bikes and ATVs when the two got in an argument.
The video showed Bullock get out of her car to confront Heron, who then pulled out a gun and headbutted Bullock, according to police. He was also seen in the video jumping up and down on the rear windshield of Bullock's car, smashing it and sending shards of glass onto her two young children inside.
Police later tracked Heron and the bike to a location in the Frankford section of Philadelphia and arrested him.
Heron pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault and possession of an instrument of crime in February 2024.
The judge in Wednesday's sentencing in a Philadelphia courtroom gave Heron credit for time served. He is also sentenced to five years probation on the aggravated assault charge.
Heron could be up for parole as early as October.
Justin Capek, an attorney who represented Heron, provided a statement:
"The court carefully contemplated the legislative goals of sentencing and the sentencing factors, and rendered a fair and just sent for Mr. Heron that did not foreclose upon his ability to be rehabilitated, but was also sufficient, but not greater than necessary to punishes very serious crimes which he wholeheartedly accept responsibility."
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office requested 3 to 6 years of jail time, while the defense requested 11 and a half to 23 months with parole and house arrest, followed by probation. Defense attorneys said Heron showed remorse for the incident and accepted responsibility.
At sentencing, the judge said the "first step to redemption is accepting accountability."
Heron addressed the court in tears and expressed deep regret for his actions. He said he wishes he could apologize to the victims in person and hopes they can forgive him.
When he was charged, members of the DA's office framed it as a move against dirt bike riders. Philadelphia police say they've also stepped up enforcement this year.
"This is a shot over the bow to the dirt bike riders in this city that we are done with dirt bikes. We're going to do everything we can to prosecute when these cases are brought to us," Bill Fritze, supervisor of the Gun Violence Task Force, said at a news conference in February after Heron's plea.
After the video first went viral, two local business owners, Otto Hernandez of Otto Glass and Thomas Montgomery of The Wiz Cafe, replaced Bullock's windshield free of charge.
