cop body-slams cyclist

[Eden]

I dunno - if I was on a jury and you showed me that video I'd think its pretty well opposed to the version of events the police officer gives. This is what I saw:
The officer starts to walk towards the sidewalk, the cyclist, as the officer is now directly in his line of travel, decides to dodge to his left to avoid colliding with the officer. The officer somehow construes this as an aggressive act and tackles the cyclist. The video ends there, so I can't make any comments about what happens afterwards, but I will tell you if it had been me I probably would have not only been dazed and hurt, but very angry and probably would have said something profane first and then something about having his badge too.

This bears little resemblance to the story the officer tells, and it would appear eye witnesses are backing up the cyclist in this case. The police are also obviously having to take this seriously too - the officer in question is on desk duty and there is an internal affairs inquiry.

here's a link to another article http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272008...ist_121984.htm

[mimitabby]

exactly, Eden..

a quote from that article:

"If it wasn't caught on video people would not have believed it," said Christopher Ryan, who rides with Critical Mass and is filming the monthly protests for a documentary. "The video just shows what the cyclists have been saying all along, that the police are still harassing and intimidating them from doing group rides," said Ryan. "An officer assaulted a cyclist for no reason. It's just crazy."

[martinkap]

Of course, the whole story appeared on police forums also. Here is what fellow officers had to say:

http://theerant.yuku.com/topic/7789/...g-cyclist.html

comment #4: "If his intention was to dismount a cyclist, a stick to the front spokes would have been a far safer, more effective method."

comment #6: "The officer appeared to slip on a banana peel left by a bicyclist."

comment #7: "what's the big deal he was keeping the bicyclists in check just letting them know we are still in charge it's an old school tecnique hahahahaha"

comment #8: "That was F'KING GREAT!

This cop stopped an aggressive bike rider flaunting his liberal interpretation of the law and made a controlled stop using the minimum amount of force necessary to effect the arrest without endangering any of the other liberals in the area.

He should be commended for his quick thinking in the face of such danger."


Or here: http://theerant.yuku.com/topic/7802/...s-bicycle.html

comment #7: Great hit. Nothing like the sight of the hippie savage hitting the pavement, whether it's on the business end of the nightstick, or a well executed body block as demonstrated here. If said hippie can't ride his little bike without avoiding the good officers of the law, then kissing the pavement is his lot, and rightfully so. Go fvck yourselves, hippy scum. Job well done, Officer. I myself will be hoisting a pint in your honor at Twins."

[Eden]

wow - and these are the people we rely on to protect us.......
that's really sad and disheartening.

It's no wonder it seems we can't ever get the police to take us seriously when we are harassed, injured or killed by drivers (some of whom have been officers this year!).

[elk]

good Lord...I'm going back to bed and might just stay there forever....

[spokewench]

good Lord...I'm going back to bed and might just stay there forever....

I'm with you Elk - there is just no understanding this.

spoke

[smilingcat]

Well after viewing the video at speed and at slo mo, and reading officer Pogans account, I would have to say that Officer Pogan's police statement clearly falsified all accounts of the event.

To knowingly give or make false statements is aggregious to say the least; but police are held to a higher standard than the public at large, and that the officers are very well aware of the consequences regarding this matter (to knowingly make false statements), I would hope that the DA will file a charges against Mr. Pogan for falsifying police record. This in itself is in violation not to mention is a serious breach of public trust and it must be dealt with accordingly. (NYPD for the longest of time have had image and trust problem with the public.)

Officer Pogan through his action has demonstrated that he himself is willing to work outside the legal bounds: The police report he filed contains three factually and grossly incorrect information. The video, no matter how one wish to look at it or try to interpret it, can not, in anyway, support Officer Pogan's stated sequence of events. If anything it totally contradicts the statements made by Officer Pogan's police report.

Had there not been a video evidence, Mr. Long could have been convicted wrongly for thrid degree assult on a police officer. Mr. Long's civil rights would have been violated. Officer Pogan's willingness to falsify police report with full knowledge that "defendent", victim of police brutality, would possibly go to jail. His willful misconduct on the street and subsequent action shows a clear disregard to civil rights and laws protecting individual rights. A far more serious crime than just filing a false police report.

He should not only be fired, but officer Pogan himself needs to spend some time in jail for civil rights violation.

two other points of observation: first is the temptation for officers to knowingly file a false police report. "the end justify the means". Sometimes this temptation is so great that, it happens. I just do not see any sense of "ends justify the means". and this leads to why would officer Pogan willing to become an assailant albeit in uniform.

Second point is did Officer Pogan wanted to show his fellow officer of his no non-sense approach to police enforcement, to show his father, grand father and his superiors that he is just as capable as them by hauling in an assailant who had wantonly assulted a police officer. That would look really good on his record. On his first month on the force... Looks really good.

I just hope that the lawsuit brought forth by Mr. Long's lawyer will force some change in police perception of cyclists as bunch of "liberal hooligans who need to be taught a lesson."

I will support a good cop. But a bad cop, depending on their transgression should be fired or even be jailed. There just is no excuse for knowingly breaking the law.

[Eden]

The video I have seen does have sound. All I can hear is a few people going "whoohooo" in the background somewhere. There is nothing to suggest that the man knocked down did anything more than participate in CM to provoke the officer's aggression. He was just in the wrong place when the officer decided that one of those hooligans needed a lesson. I'm really not willing to reserve judgement when it appears so very clear that the officer outright lied about what happened.

[KeepingUp]

Wow thats not nice at all, police officers can be so mean!And he got charged with assultt. just sickening!