before, and he was getting used to calling the tree-lined streets home. At eighteen, he had just graduated from high school and planned to begin community college in the fall. He was spending the summer getting to know the neighborhood, meeting people, and riding his bicycle along different routes so he could learn the layout.
That Saturday, Kendrick wore a gray hoodie with the sleeves pushed to his elbows, black jeans, and worn white sneakers. His headphones rested around his neck rather than over his ears because his mother had always taught him to stay aware of his surroundings when he was alone. He was pedaling at an easy pace, noticing dogs in yards and children's toys on lawns, when he passed a small park with a playground and several benches. About fifty feet ahead, he noticed a boy of ten or eleven struggling with an adult man over a red bicycle.
At first, Kendrick slowed down because he was unsure whether he was seeing a parent playing around with a child. Then he saw the boy's face. The child was distressed, pulling backward on the handlebars while the adult, dressed entirely in black, yanked harder and used his size to overpower him. A moment later, the man ripped the bicycle away, jumped onto it, and began riding off.
"Hey, that's mine! Stop!" the boy shouted.
Kendrick did not stop to think through the situation. He stood on his pedals and accelerated after the man. "Hey! Stop! That's not your bike!" he shouted as he closed the distance.
The thief looked over his shoulder, saw Kendrick coming, and began pedaling harder. Kendrick chased him through the park, onto the street, and down the next block, repeatedly yelling for him to stop. The man kept glancing backward, and the panic on his face grew as it became clear Kendrick was not giving up.
The pursuit continued for another two blocks. Kendrick kept gaining until the thief made a sharp turn into a narrow alley between two buildings. The man quickly realized the alley had stairs and tight corners that would make it impossible to continue riding at speed. He jumped off the bicycle while it was still moving, let it crash onto the pavement, and ran deeper between the buildings.
Kendrick skidded to a stop and watched him disappear around a corner. For a moment, he considered continuing the chase on foot, but the man already had a head start, and Kendrick had no idea where the alley led. Instead, he picked up the red bicycle, checked that it was still usable, and decided to return it to the boy. He held his blue mountain bike with one hand and the smaller red bike with the other and began walking back toward the park.