Investment Banker Arrested After Jogger Pushes Woman Into Traffic

A man was detained Thursday in connection with an incident involving a woman being pushed toward oncoming traffic in May. Police arrested Eric Bellquist, 50, on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.

The incident occurred May 5, when a man jogging near Putney Bridge in West London deliberately knocked a woman into the path of an oncoming bus. The bus was able to swerve in time and the woman suffered only minor injuries. Police released footage from the scene this week in an attempt to apprehend the culprit.

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“A 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm following police inquiries at an address in the Chelsea area on the morning of Thursday, 10 August,” police said in a statement.

Bellquist, a partner at an equity firm, has denied he had anything to do with the incident. His lawyers said he wasn't in London at the time of the incident. Bellquist was released without being charged.

“Our client has been wrongly implicated in this matter,” Bellquist’s lawyers said in a statement Friday. “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.”

Bellquist worked previously for Lehman Brothers and was currently serving as a director on the board for Hutton Collins Partners, which owns a chain of restaurants.

After the man knocked the woman over, police said he came back across the bridge about 15 minutes later.

“The victim tried to speak to him but he did not acknowledge her and carried on jogging,” they said in a statement.

Police said in the wake of the incident, they received numerous reports of similar incidents occurring across London.

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“It is perhaps more prevalent than I had first thought,” said Wandsworth Police Sergeant Mat Knowles, according to the Evening Standard. “Perhaps it is being under-reported.”

Police were continuing their search for the man involved in the incident Friday. Witnesses were urged to call the Putney Safer Neighborhood Team or Crimestoppers with any related information.