The California Highway Patrol on Thursday announced the arrest of a 32-year-old professional motorcycle stunt rider who allegedly shot video and rode recklessly while filming a pack of motorcyclists popping wheelies and speeding along a Bay Area highway.
CHP Officer Ross Lee identified the suspect as Guruardas Singh Khalsa of Brentwood. Khalsa was arrested Wednesday night on felony charges for allegedly shooting the video. The charges stem from Oct. 11, when a pack of about 50 motorcycle riders taunted an officer along Interstate Highway 680 in San Jose, and they refused to stop when the officer told them to.
Lee said that Khalsa is a professional motorcycle stunt rider with "multiple endorsements" who used a GoPro camera to film an illegal and reckless ride. It was his video, Lee said, that will be used against him as evidence.
"He was the videographer," Lee said.
Khalsa was booked at the Martinez detention facility in Contra Costa County on charges of accessory after the fact in the commission of a felony. He also faces misdemeanor obstruction and marijuana possession charges. A booking photo was not immediately released. On Thursday, Khalsa also has not formally been charged and it wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. Sgt. Jimmy Lee said Khalsa bailed out of jail Thursday after bond was set at $45,000.
The ride was captured on video and posted on Youtube on Oct. 21 by a user named "GuruStunts."
The video is titled "Cop Chases Bikers Then Bikers Then Biker Makes Cop Leave," and as of Thursday had 1.5 million hits. The video shows riders standing on their bikes, driving in between cars and refusing to stop when an unnamed CHP officer tells them to. Lee said riding in this reckless manner is a misdemeanor.
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Lee said the officer asked for backup, but the group ended up exiting on McKee Road before help arrived. No one was arrested at the time, Lee said, because the officer decided not to pursue them, fearing it would be too dangerous.
The person who posted the video, GuruStunts, emailed back and forth with NBC Bay Area on Oct. 24. He did not want his real name to be used, and he insisted that he didn't take the video, was not part of the ride and has "no affiliation with them. It was sent to me by an anonymous rider."
"GuruStunts" wrote that he "strictly buys and posts videos on YouTube as the brand GuruStunts."
He also said that he represents StreetFighterz clothing and merchandise, which states on its website that the company is a Streetbike Freestyle Stunt Team based out of St. Louis, Missouri.
Lee said he is not sure if "GuruStunts" is Khalsa. No one from the GuruStunts email addressed responded to a request for comment on Thursday. But the alternate name listed on the gmail account was listed as: GURUARDAS KHALSA. And there were other connections.
On social media, GuruStunts had supporters. "Noooo!!! #Freeguru @Gurustunts," one person put on Instagram. "Looks like Gurustunts better lay low, lol," another person tweeted.
Lee said the investigation is ongoing and that the investigators are looking for more of the riders that day. "We anticipate more arrests," he said.
