News

Cody Heron’s Lawyer Admits Video Is “Disturbing” But Says There’s More to the Story

The defendant in the wild motorcycle incident is being held on $2.5 million bail.


 Philadelphia police say the man wearing the motorcycle helmet in the wild viral motorcycle video from Sunday night is 26-year-old Cody Heron (image via <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vortex.hz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@vortex.hz</a>

Philadelphia police say the man wearing the motorcycle helmet in the wild viral motorcycle video from Sunday night is 26-year-old Cody Heron (image via @vortex.hz

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Cody Heron’s Lawyer Admits Motorcycle Video Is “Disturbing” But Says There’s More to the Story

On Wednesday, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office announced the arrest of 26-year-old Cody Heron in the wild caught-on-video motorcycle incident from Center City on Sunday night. And his lawyer, Justin Capek, agrees with the rest of the world that the video is “disturbing.” But he says don’t be too quick to judge Heron.

Reached on Thursday morning, here’s what Capek had to say in full:

The video shared by the media is obviously disturbing. However: Our investigation has revealed that it is only a portion of a much lengthier incident that when viewed in its entirety casts Mr. Heron in a significantly different light. By way of further information, Mr. Heron has never been in trouble a single day in his life. He is lawfully permitted to carry a concealed firearm and works 6 days a week. We are looking forward to presenting a clearer picture as to who Mr. Heron is at upcoming court hearings.

Capek wouldn’t elaborate on exactly what might have happened that could possibly cast Heron in a “significantly different light.” But he said that his team is in search of other video footage that might show whatever it is that may have happened.

The DA’s office sought $5 million bail. The judge set it at $2.5 million. Meaning Heron needs to post 10 percent — so, $250,000 — to get out. A preliminary hearing in the case will likely take place on October 16th.

Meanwhile, media outlets the world over are having a field day with the video and the arrest. I have to admit to having a bit of a chuckle when the Daily Mail referred to Heron as a “dirt bike-riding goon.”

Three Philly Cops Shot

Three Philadelphia police officers were shot on Wednesday evening when responding to a domestic incident in Northeast Philadelphia. According to interim Philadelphia police commissioner John Stanford, a father and son started arguing while the son was playing a video game. The boy’s uncle got involved, and things went downhill from there. According to police, the father shot the uncle. Then he opened fire on police when they arrived. The cops shot and killed him. All of the officers involved are listed in stable condition.

On the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Affair

Here’s one sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with: “Travis Kelce Says the NFL Is ‘Overdoing It a Bit’ with the Focus on Him and Taylor Swift”. Ya think?

Local Talent

Last month, I interviewed CAPA and Masterman alum Leslie Odom Jr. about his new projects, which include his first return to Broadway since Hamilton and an Exorcist sequel. Well, critics have nothing but great things to say about Purlie Victorious, the Broadway show. As for the new Exorcist movie, which opens today, the reviews are as bad as those for Purlie are good.

And get this: Universal (a.k.a. the movie company owned by Comcast) reportedly paid $400 million for the rights to the Exorcist franchise. I’m sure the execs at Comcast are hoping theatergoers ignore the reviews, just as they did with terribly bad movies like Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, both of which cleaned up at the box office.

By the Numbers

12: U.S. cities selected to participate in the Cities Forward program, which pairs American burgs with those in Latin America and the Caribbean to see what they can learn from each other and how they can attain mutual benefits. Philadelphia’s partner city? Ambato, smack-dab in the middle of Ecuador.

3: Number of CEOs who are women among the 100 biggest public companies in the Philadelphia area. That’s according to a new report from the Forum for Executive Women. Think three is a low number? It’s actually up. From one. Yay, progress!

$73,000: Value of crabs (yes, crabs!) stolen from the back of a truck in Kensington. Let’s hope the long arm of the, uh, claw (sorry!) finds the bandit. Or at least that the perp has sufficient refrigeration.

And from the Who’s-the-Man? Sports Desk …

The CBP crowd was gloriously rowdy at the start to last night’s Wild Card playoff matchup between the Phils and the Marlins — the second game in the best-of-three series.

Phils fans knew what was at stake with Aaron Nola on the mound; they cheered every strike and booed every called ball. Nola repaid the acclaim, with a fly-out and two strikeouts in the first frame. The Marlins’ Braxton Garrett was just as fired up, though, matching Nola: two K’s and a fly-out.

In the second, Nola notched three straight outs. In our half, Braxton struck out Harper, but J.T. Realmuto sent a double up the line. Nick Castellanos flew out, though, and Bryson Stott struck out. In the third, with one out, Pache just missed a long fly ball that let Jon Berti reach second, but Berti got his butt picked off by Nola, and Jacob Stallings grounded out. Pache walked to start our half, Kyle Schwarber ripped a double, and Pache came home: 1-0. A Trea Turner single scored Schwarbs, and the crowd was downright delirious! All over the Delaware Valley, inquiring minds were wondering:

(No. They were not.)

In the fourth, David Robertson came in for Braxton, and Realmuto promptly put one over the wall: 3-0. In their fifth, after Jazz Chisholm struck out, Jake Burger singled and De La Cruz walked, but Jésus Sánchez hit into a double play. Nola hit Berti with a pitch to lead off the sixth, but woo! Another double play, and then a fly-out. After Bohm led off the bottom with another (!) Phils double, reliever Andrew Nardi came in, Harper walked, and J.T. was up again. Burger muffed his grounder to load them up for Stott, who …

A great Rojas catch against the wall stole a hit from Chisholm in the seventh, and Nola shut them down again. Turner doubled off the wall after new reliever J.T. Chargois came in for Nardi in our half, then took third on a wild pitch. With two down, Harper was intentionally walked, but Realmuto made the final out. Look who came in for the bottom half — Orion Kerkering, the Man! And he mowed ’em down, one-two-three! For the ninth? Gregory Soto, who gave up a Xavier Edwards single. Edwards moved to second on a ground-out and Jorge Soler struck out, but Josh Bell singled Edwards in just to keep the fun going. It was up to Chisholm, who accommodatingly struck out: a 7-1 win. Woo-hoo! Pandemonium! Next game is Saturday, vs. the Braves, time TBD.

And in Doop News?

The Union welcomed Atlanta United to Subaru Park last night, in the wake of our guys’ four straight draws. Would it be five borings in a row? José Bueno was injured early, and José Martínez subbed for him 12 minutes in. Jack Elliott was awarded the match’s first yellow in the 34th minute just outside the box for Atlanta, but nothing came of their chance. Goalie Andre Blake was having another tremendous game. In the 38th minute, Dániel Gazdag finally broke through with a gorgeous bicycle kick — my personal fave soccer shot!

Mere minutes later, Mikael Uhre slammed another one in. And after all their goal lulls, Júlian Carranza put another onion in the old doop bag in overage at the close of the half: 3-0. Who knows? Maybe they could hear the cheers from South Philly.

In the second half, refs called a (debatable) handball on Carranza in the 54th minute, and Thiago Almada put Atlanta on the board. Quinn Sullivan came on for Uhre at 60 minutes and earned a (cheap) yellow for kicking the ball away after the whistle five minutes later. Young man has great hair. Atlanta got back into it with a goal in the 76th, but a red card on Jamal Thiaré just into overage pretty much sealed it. The final: 3-2 Union. At least it wasn’t a draw. Next game is Saturday night in Nashville.

All Philly Today sports coverage is provided by Sandy Hingston.