Driver who repeatedly slammed bicyclist with car is arrested

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - Video posted to social media that showed a confrontation between a driver and a man on a bicycle in Manhattan has led to the arrest of an off-duty New York City firefighter.

The video shows the driver of a Dodge Challenger repeatedly ram the cyclist in the middle of the street. The shocking incident occurred Thursday morning on the West Side Highway.

Twitter user Liz Gonzales shared the video and wrote: "Driver almost hits biker. Biker gets confrontational. Driver takes biker's phone, proceeds to run him over. Driver should be in jail along with his (link: http://bodybuilding.com) bodybuilding.com shirt."

The driver was initially allowed to drive away after a traffic enforcement agent told him to return the phone to the cyclist.

The NYPD later said it was investigating. Then on Monday, police announced that the driver had been located and arrested.

Authorities charged Brauley De La Rosa, 27, with reckless endangerment and aggravated unlicensed operator, the NYPD said. He is a New York City firefighter.

De La Rosa told Gothamist that he did nothing wrong. He said the cyclist struck his car and wouldn't move.

New York City Council Speaker Cory Johnson reacted to the video via his Twitter account.

"This video is disturbing. This driver must be held accountable. My district office is talking to the NYPD and monitoring the situation," Johnson tweeted.

The bicyclist reportedly told Gonzales that the driver grabbed his cell phone during their argument. He had no choice but to stand his ground.