Cop goes crazy on cyclist at critical mass ride-video

[riverdeep]

While riding his bike at a critical mass ride in New York, 29 year old Army veteran Christopher Long was smacked off his bike by 22 year old Patrick Pogan, one of NYPD's finest. The cop then claimed that Long was resisting arrest and had assaulted him. Fortunately, he's been stripped of his badge and has a desk job while the investigation is underway. Just think if there was no video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUkiyBVytRQ

More details at:
http://gothamist.com/2008/07/29/cyclist_thrown_from_bike_by_cop_is.php

[Schema Thing]

1. I don't see how this is anything less than attempted murder

[riverdeep]

3. I couldn't really believe I was seeing that.

It was so blatant. The video doesn't go on for too much longer after the hit, but I wonder what the spectators did? Did they just stand there? The article says the cop put his knees on him and bashed him against a phone booth.

He needs to sue the department for everything he can get.

[jdlh8894]

8. What's a phone booth?N/T

[norepubsin08]

2. All fucking pigs are like that

every last one of them is on a life long authoritarian, power trip. These jack booted thigs need to reined in, not glorified like they are now.

[globalvillage]

4. That's a ridiculous statement.

Nice broad brush you got there, pal.

[Zywiec]

6. Anywhere else it would be a ridiculous statement

Here in the land of hyperbole, it's normal.

[norepubsin08]

13. Have you seen

how the cops have acted lately...part of the problem is that they think they can do anything, because of all, the mindless bullshit on tv glorifying them.

[JBoy]

9. I hope you've registered your name on the list

The "Don't call 911 for me if you see I'm in trouble" list.

:thumbsdown:

[Blecht]

5. The comments at Youtube about the video are really disturbing

I really hope those are not all real people posting all that hateful crap.

[riverdeep]

12. Nope, those people are real.

Who do you think voted for George Bush in 2004? Long after even the most cretinous fool could see he was a cancer on this earth? People just like that. Youtube appeals, among other things, to the lowest common denominator. There's about a fifty/fifty chance on any given video that the comments will have the words "fag" "pussy" or some demeaning put down in garbled English.

Welcome to 'Idiocracy' come to life.

[Ron Green]

7. It takes a very special spot on the Kohlberg scale to be a good cop.

This asshole doesn't make it.

[unapatriciated]

10. What makes it really bad is the kid didn't have a helmet on....

and the cop pushed into the curb. It could of been deadly.

[AllieB]

11. The cyclist is an Army veteran

excerpt:

The cyclist who was videotaped being body slammed off his bike in an apparently unprovoked attack by an NYPD officer during Friday night’s Critical Mass ride has been identified as Christopher Long, a 29-year-old resident of Bloomfield, New Jersey who works at the Union Square Greenmarket. His boss tells the Daily News that Long is an Army veteran and "mild-mannered environmental activist." Craig Radhuber, 54, was riding behind Long Friday night and describes incident: “All of a sudden the cop picked this kid out and bodychecked him. I couldn't believe what was going on. body-slammed this kid off the bicycle so hard that he went from the lane to the curb.”

http://gothamist.com/2008/07/29/cyclist_thrown_from_bike_by_cop_is.php

[MrSlayer]

14. What an asshole that cop is.

He should be charged with assault and thrown off the force.

[riverdeep]

15. Apparently, critical mass and cops have been butting heads for awhile.

I'm learning about some of the details about this group just now. I'd heard of them before, but never paid much attention. The issue from the cops point of view seems to be that the ride is an organized parade and so you need a permit. The riders disagree. According to them, there is no organization and anyone can join and ride. At the beginning, anyway, they obeyed the rules of the road and so on. And they still got arrested.

They get their bikes impounded for minor traffic violations. They get sent to prison for hours on trumped up charges. That's like getting sent to the clink and having your car taken away for speeding.

This is one incident of many from a critical mass website:

Spokane, WA, USA

November, 2005. A rider writes: "Prior to a ride on November 25, Officers from the Spokane Police Department came to the Critical Mass meeting point and read Municipal Codes for Disorderly Conduct. The Officers left, and about eleven bicyclists began the ride, heading down Howard Street, with about fifteen people were following by foot on the sidewalks--some with cameras, and some as general supporters. Less than ten minutes into the ride the police created a blockade near the corner of Riverside and Post, announced their presence, and tackled people from their bikes. They handcuffed eleven people and detained them in a nearby alleyway. They confiscated bicycles as 'evidence'. Three people were released, and the remaining eight were arrested on charges of Disorderly Conduct."

http://critical-mass.info/police.html

So while it appears this cop just decided to freak out in this particular manner, he may very well have gotten the idea from his good buddies in blue. It's interesting to see how the establishment can stretch and outright break the law and not get called for it when the people they are targeting a) have little recourse and b) are considered to be not fine, upstanding citizens.

Here is another article on the assault by the NYT City Room blog. This part really stuck out to me:

Cyclist-police relations were worsened with revelations, in 2005, that the Police Department had conducted secret surveillance of numerous protest groups, including Critical Mass, around the time of the (RNC) convention.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/police-investigate-officer-in-critical-mass-video/

Who are the good guys again?