VIDEO: Woman Riding Bike Yells 'Help' As Men Restrain Her On UES

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Two men tried taking the law into their own hands Tuesday morning by physically restraining a woman from riding her bike as they accused her of scratching their SUV. It appears the NYPD approved of the attempt at vigilante justice as the cyclist yelled for help, according to witnesses.

The men, wearing all black and riding in a black SUV, were seen grabbing onto the basket of the woman's Citi Bike on the corner of East 59th Street and First Avenue around 10:45 a.m. CJ Bretillon, who posted a video of the altercation on Twitter, said that she was riding across the street when she saw the two men run down the First Avenue bike lane to catch up with the cyclist.

"The taller dude grabbed onto her bike basket the whole time, would not let go. She was in distress and screaming the whole time," Bretillon told Patch. "They were intimidating her, getting in her face. They were like 'oh you scratched my car,' but she seemed like she had no idea."

The black SUV appeared to be obstructing the bike lane, according to Bretillon's video.

Bretillon said that she did not see what led up to the altercation but that as soon as the argument got physical a number of bikers told the men not to grab the woman and to call the police if they had an issue.

The traffic officer that's usually posted in the area rushed to the scene during the argument, but seemed to side with the men, Bretillon said.

"It was weird to me that she started running and screaming that the dudes were in the wrong, but as soon as she heard 'she scratched our car' she did not stop them from grabbing her bike," Bretillon told Patch.

Bretillon had to leave the scene before the conflict was resolved. The cyclist told Patch that the conflict was "disturbing."

NYPD Spokeswoman Denise Moroney said that officers from the 19th precinct responded to the scene but no summonses were issued or arrests made.

The NYPD does not have a complaint report on file for the altercation.