LOS ANGELES, CA (BRAIN)—A doctor convicted of assaulting two cyclists in Brentwood, California, by driving in front of them and slamming on his brakes was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison.
"Government must become aware of the dangerous conditions existing on our city streets and the threat of injury to cyclists," Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington told a crowded court room.
Christopher Thompson offered up a tearful apology to the injured riders.
"If my incident shows us anything, it's that confrontation leads only to escalation of hostility and not resolution," Thompson said. "You cannot fix the problem if you are consumed with affixing the blame."
The July 4, 2008 incident drew the attention of cyclists worldwide.
Thompson was convicted of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon—his car—and other serious charges. Jurors also found him guilty of reckless driving in an earlier incident in which prosecutors said he tried to hurt two other cyclists. He faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.
