A cyclist was able to narrowly escape injury during an attack from a pipe-wielding, shirtless jogger while on a trail in Katy last week, according to media reports.
Steven Blum told media outlets that he was riding on the Mason Creek Trail on Dec. 8 when the jogger, later identified as Zachary Nulisch, 30, swung a pipe at him and his bike, causing $1,000 in damage.
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The incident occurred after Blum first passed the jogger at 20 miles per hour, he told KPRC, KSAT’s sister station in Houston.
Blum had cameras attached to the front and back of his bicycle, and video obtained by the Houston Chronicle shows him initially passing Nulisch, who was heading the opposite direction.
Blum said he told the pedestrians “rider, rider” to alert them that he was passing. He continued past them until he turned around and headed back the way he came.
That’s when he approached the jogger again, but this time the man had a pipe, Blum told KPRC.
The video showed the jogger planting both feet on the ground as he swung the pipe near the front tire. The back-facing camera shows the jogger attempting to go after Blum, but he stops after a few steps as Blum quickly pedals away.
“Hey what the f*** is wrong with you,” Blum yells back, adding that he had a camera. Nulisch dropped the pipe but picked it back up and attempted to go after him again, the video shows.
Blum told KPRC that the incident almost caused him to crash because he was blocked on his left by a metal fence.
Blum called authorities and provided video and a description of the jogger. Deputies with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office found him near the trail and detained him for questioning.
After Blum arrived and identified him, he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.
KPRC said Blum’s front tire was bent and damaged, included a broken spoke. The damage was estimated at $1,000.
Read KPRC’s full report here.