YouTube Video Exposes Cop who Attempted to Cover Up Assault on Bicyclist (Given Desk Duty)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Raw Story

YouTube video exposes cop who attempted to cover up assault on bicyclist
Nick Langewis and David Edwards
Published: Wednesday July 30, 2008

"Cyclists here already face enough obstacles," said New York City Councilman David Yassky. "Law enforcement shouldn't be one of them."

A New York City police officer has been placed behind a desk after being caught on tape deliberately pushing a man off of his bike during a Friday Critical Mass event in Times Square.

22-year-old rookie Patrick Pogan, former football offensive lineman and son of a retired NYPD detective, claimed in court documents that 29-year-old Christopher Long of Bloomfield, New Jersey was "forcing multiple vehicles to stop abruptly or change their direction to avoid hitting the defendant." Pogan also alleged that Long knocked him to the ground after deliberately aiming the bicycle towards him.

Video uploaded to YouTube appears to contradict that claim, showing Pogan moving in front of Long as he attempted to ride past the line of officers, and shoving Long to the ground. The footage, the New York Daily News noted, "clearly shows Long trying to dodge Pogan, who appears to have remained upright the entire time."

"The police officer looked to see who he was going to pick off," said witness 54-year-old Craig Radhuber. "All of a sudden the cop picked this kid out and bodychecked him...I couldn't believe what was going on." "If it wasn't caught on video people would not have believed it," rider and documentary filmmaker Christopher Ryan added. "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."

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/YouTube_video_exposes_cop_who_attempted_0730.html

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[ingac70]

1. I hope that cyclist sues the crap out of the guy..

and sues the NYPD for hiring psychos.

[Alexander]

2. We need citizen review boards with the power to fire abusive cops...

If you leave it up to the police chief, the offender just ends up behind a desk.

Cops like this need to be fired and sued, not "transferred" or "reassigned".

Until the people get control of their police departments this kind of abuse will continue.

[bean fidhleir]

13. Cops and priests - the system takes care of them. (nt)

[defendandprotect]

3. Right -- the report kinda was he "pushed" him off his bike. . . nah . ..

he flung him off his bike --- he purposefully moved into his path and viciously threw

the biker off onto the ground ---

Bless whomever took the video ---


Another "bad apple" --- ? Are we seriously supposed to believe that this guy suddenly

attacked a biker on his own without wondering what the response might be back at the

station?

Are there any reports on the biker --- was he hurt?

[Historic NY]

4. 3 weeks on the job I'd say he is done once a lawsuit is filed.

[Swagman]

5. they filmed us for years-turn it back on them and use video

[kimmylavin]

6. Imagine if there were no video.

This guy was charged with assaulting an officer - let's just imagine how that would have gone down, shall we?

I also like the news commentary: "Depending on whom you talk to, the video shows two different things." What the hell is she talking about? I'm not sure there's any other way to interpret what happened, but I could be wrong...

[onehandle]

7. There are many, many videos of cops assaulting Critical Mass riders on You Tube.

Nice to see one of them get into the news.

[Canuckistanian]

8. I thought the cop was fired

I saw the video and he certainly deserved to be fired.

AND have his ass sued off in a civil suit.

[Smarmie Doofus]

12. Alas... city law protects the cop from personal liability.

The hard-pressed NYC taxpayers will foot the bill... as they have in all of the other police-misconduct and civil rights violations of the Bloomberg era.

[salin]

9. The guy gets thrown off his bike - and then is charged with "assualt"?

what a travesty. Sorry taxpayers of New York, I am betting that you are going to be hit with a bill at the end of a successful lawsuit for the biker.

The policeman has been on the job for three weeks?

[AP]

10. Although this cop is evil, I have to admit, critical mass bicyclists really annoy me.

My first encounter with critical mass, I had no idea who they were. I was out getting prescription medicine for a friend who was sick. About twenty of them went through a yellow light in front of me. It turned green and I crept forward when I saw a opening, thinking the next twenty would at least yield, if not come to a stop at the red light. Nope. So I got stuck in the intersection -- which had an automatic camera for red light violations. The flash went off. Meanwhile, friend's at home waiting for medicine (and take out dinner). I was pissed. Fortunately I didn't get a ticket, but I think the person behind me who entered the intersection after the light turned red did get a ticket (and I'm sure none of the bicyclists got tickets).

My next encounter, I was pedestrian at intersection. Light turned red. I walked through, forcing critical mass bicyclists to slow and swerve to avoid hitting me while I repeated "moral high ground" (pedestrian trumps bike trumps car) all the way through the intersection.

[raebrek]

11. I need audio

The video shows what happened. I trust that there was some reason the cop decided to do that. Could the cycler have provoked him while riding up? As much as the police sometimes annoy me I have to wonder what the rest of the story is. Where is Paul Harvey when you need him?

Raebrek!!!