Eric Bellquist, an American investment banker and a partner at a private equity firm in London, has been arrested in connection with a frightening attack that saw a woman shoved into the path of an oncoming bus.
The incident in question occurred in May, but came to public attention this week when police released CCTV footage that shows a jogger on Putney Bridge pushing a woman into traffic, and a bus swerving to avoid her as she falls.
Bellquist, who previously worked for Lehman Brothers and is currently employed by Hutton Collins Partners, was arrested this week in Chelsea on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. He has since been released on bail.
He denies that he is the man in the video, and his lawyers put out a media release claiming that there is “irrefutable proof” he was in the United States at the time of the incident:
This statement is issued in relation to our client Mr Eric Bellquist, who was arrested yesterday in relation to an assault that took place between a male jogger and a female pedestrian on 5 May 2017 on Putney Bridge, London.
Our client has been wrongly implicated in this matter; he categorically denies being the individual concerned and has irrefutable proof that he was in the United States at the time of the incident. Consequently, we expect a swift resolution to this wholly untrue allegation.
Metropolitan Police officers say that the 33-year-old woman in the video sustained “minor injuries” after the attack, which occurred around 7.40am on May 5.
They say that the man shown in the video ran back across the bridge around 15 minutes after the attack; the victim attempted to speak to him but police say “he did not acknowledge her.”
Bus operator Go-Ahead London has praised the driver, who swerved to avoid the victim and then stopped to provide assistance.
“The driver commented that he is pleased to have been a hero, he was just doing his job,” they said.
“He is pleased to have been able to react the way he did and that there was no serious injury to the lady.”
