Police apprehend Florida man they say cut brake lines on electric scooters

The debate about whether free-standing electric scooters are the key to sustainable mobility or an overhyped fad might never get a real answer, but there’s one thing that’s sure: The people who are strongly against them are strongly against them, to the point of illegal action. Some opposers have taken to throwing the scooters into bodies of water, and at least one rogue individual took it upon himself to cut brake lines on the scooters. Caught on camera, the vandal has been linked to at least 20 instances of the dangerous act, according to The New York Times.

In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a 59-year-old man was arrested and charged with a third-degree felony for “criminal mischief.” Police say at least 140 scooters have been vandalized in the Fort Lauderdale area since April, and they say the suspect was directly linked to at least 20 of those. The scooters had severed brake lines and a sticker over the barcode that allows users to activate the electric-powered two-wheelers. 

Police reportedly pegged the man as a suspect back in July, but they did not have the proper evidence to take action. That changed when an act of sabotage was captured by a home-mounted Ring camera. In the video, above, a man is seen poking around the scooters at about 4 a.m. 

Even when he was approached by police, the suspect reportedly didn’t go down easy. After balling his fists and refusing to work with the cops, “the defendant then began to brace, tense, and pull away from officers and refused to let go of the objects in his hands,” according to a report of the incident. The objects he possessed were wire cutters and pliers.

According to police estimates, scooters have incurred at least $1,400 in damages. Read more about the case at The New York Times.