Police: Man's YouTube video leads to charges in high-speed getaway
In a popular YouTube video, a man sits on a motorcycle while stopped at a red light on Randall Road. As a St. Charles police officer approaches on foot, the man gives the officer a little wave, guns the motorcycle through a red light and hits 143 mph for a clean getaway.
The officer didn't attempt a pursuit. He didn't have to.
You can't outrun social media.
Brian A. Bianco, 23, of the 36W600 block of Oak Road in an unincorporated area near St. Charles, faces four charges after St. Charles police say they used the YouTube video to track him down Thursday.
The video is from June 26. Police said an officer approached Bianco while stopped at a light on Randall Road because Bianco's motorcycle had no registration plate and he failed to signal a turn.
The ensuing high-speed getaway became part of a video montage of similar defiance of police called "Bikers vs. Cops - Motorcycle Police Chase Compilation #15."
At about the 8:20 mark of the 10-minute video, a link to what appears to be Bianco's own YouTube page appears.
That, plus an email police received with links to Bianco's personal Facebook page and Instagram account, pulled together all the pieces for the investigators, officials said.
Bianco faces charges of:
• Aggravated fleeing of a police officer while exceeding 21 mph over the speed limit.
• Aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer while disobeying two or more traffic control devices.
• Aggravated fleeing/conceal/altering registration.
• Disobeying a police officer
For those charges, Bianco received a $40,000 bail. He posted a $4,000 cash bond. Bianco will appear in court July 20.
St. Charles police said they hope to identify other jurisdictions shown in the video. Those authorities may pursue more charges. There is at least one lengthy chase given by a Chicago police officer in the video.