Video: Cop bodychecks bicyclisg

The New York Post ^ | July 29, 2008 | Murray Weiss et al.

[heartwood]

A rookie cop - the son of a highly respected New York City detective - has been stripped of his badge and gun after being caught on video viciously attacking a bicyclist who was part of a Times Square demonstration. '

The startling YouTube video shows Officer Patrick Pogan, 22, apparently setting his sights on - and then tackling - a bicyclist as he pedaled along Seventh Avenue as part of last Friday's controversial Critical Mass ride.

Christopher Long, 29, was among a throng of riders as he whizzed toward the corner of West 46th Street at 9:30 p.m. and appeared to try and swerve away from the officer.

But the video shows Pogan pick up his pace as he stares down Long before shoving the cyclist, slamming him to the pavement.

To the dismay of stunned pedestrians, Long, who was not wearing a helmet, hurtles several feet through the air as he flips off the bicycle and lands on the curb.

[FlyVet]

Most of us cyclists think groups like Critical Mass are attention-starved idiots. If they were heavily fined for obstructing traffic a few times, they might lose some of that need for attention.

[reagan_fanatic]

The cop seemed to be targeting one person out of the group. The question is, why? Was it just random or did the cop choose that cyclist for a specific reason?

[Publius6961]

If we limited qualification for police work to people with the "perfect temperament" to be ideal cops, we would have a permanent major shortage of cops; they're only human. The best we can do is weed out the worst cases. That's the way it is.

I am among cops quite regularly, not as "buddies", but strictly business or in an "employer-employee" capacity. Mutual understanding of the complexities of the job on both sides is critical.

Example. At a recent community meeting, many police cars showed up, including a canine unit, with canine inside. When three cops walked by the car, one of them pounded on the side of the car and made loud "meow!" sounds. The cops all laughed and continued on their way and, of course, the dog "responded.". A civilian would have been cited for doing the same. Big deal? Only for the immature among us who live perpetually in a black and white world (no pun intended).

[JewishRighter]

After further review of the videotape, the play stands as called: clean hit.

Seriously, beautiful, clean hit, and I really could give a crap about these people, but the cop was wrong. As tempting a target, cops can’t do this stuff.

[Jagdgewehr]

Now...If you, an average citizen, got out of your car and leveled a dirtbag anarchist protester off his bicycle in the same manner, you would be applauded.

[Publius6961]

Who knows? Maybe what precipitated the interaction was the attempted assault on somebody else?

Exactly.
Just as in the "Rodney King" event, what went on before, and after, is hidden away as irrelevant. No one on this thread has the complete picture, but are easily induced into an irrational emotional response.

[arthurus]

It was wrong what the cop obviously did. A lightning strike would be more satisfying or a crane toppling on them. These people should be locked away for a long long time for being purely obstructional and obnoxious. When rule-obeying and pleasant cyclists complain that drivers have no respect the problem is the groups who ride primarily to be a$$h0les and confirm their own existence by the effect they have on others. They are borderline and not-so-borderline sociopaths and these are the folks that drivers notice and remember. It is the Identity of bicyclists for others on the street. When I see colorful cricket suits riding four or five abreast across two or three lanes of traffic, sometimes I have to turn off to an alternate route just to keep my composure.

[Mila]

"Pogan has been on the force for just three weeks since graduating from the Police Academy on July 2 and is assigned to Midtown South.

Well, better to get rid of him in the early days than have a bully in the ranks for the next thirty years.

[KDD]

Stick his night stick in the tire spokes?

[Glenn]

Freepers' general contempt for bicyclists (especially activist ones) vs. the hatred for out-of-control law-unto-themselves cops.

Can't we all just get along?

[JLS]

Mutual understanding of the complexities of the job on both sides is critical.

Nope, the way society works is OBEY THE LAW. That way you need not understand anyone, cops or illegal aliens or those just like you. All you need to do is obey the law.

Example. At a recent community meeting, many police cars showed up, including a canine unit, with canine inside. When three cops walked by the car, one of them pounded on the side of the car and made loud "meow!" sounds. The cops all laughed and continued on their way and, of course, the dog "responded.". A civilian would have been cited for doing the same. Big deal? Only for the immature among us who live perpetually in a black and white world (no pun intended).

And your example is a very good one. If you are a cop and you would cite ANYONE for an act, you must cite EVERYONE including your partner. That is the point of people here. You want to breed contempt for the law and creation of classes of citizens.

Having Nobles and Lords and even quartering troops in our houses is what prompted the founding of this country. Americans recoild at the special cop class as they rightly should.

[MindBender26]

Notice to the cop.

Never, never, never, never do something like that........

When there could be cameras around.

[joe fonebone]

did you notice that the other cop was right behind him, looking at the cyclist too? there is something that happened out of camera range here....i withhold judgement until all facts are presented in this particular case

[normy]

You cannot tell that from the video. As a matter of fact it appears that ten or more cyclists are riding past the cop before he singles out the one that got leveled.

if these guys are shutting down traffic all over the city for kicks, it would seem the cops would be called out to shut them down or at least keep some order. For all you know a mile up the road this guy could have done any number of things to warrant a radio call to this cop. The cop could have even been yelling for the guy to stop

[arthurus]

The video is pretty “cut and dry.” The bike was turning away from the cop. The cop had to take a couple of steps to reach the bike and push it over. It looked like the cop recognized somebody for whom he had a grudge already. It looks as though he picked out that one rider from the group. It is possible the biker showed the cop his middle finger before the video gets him in the frame. It is certain these are obnoxious people but cops are supposed to deal professionally and lawfully with obnoxious people and they deal with them all the time. It is a major component of the job. It is good that this officer’s career gets nipped in the bud(one would hope) while he can still go on to some other career for which he is temperamentally more suited.

[arthurus]

I would agree with you if the officer were a bystander or anything but an officer. But he is a policeman.

[arthurus]

Bad ones and really bad ones and New Orleans.

[Publius6961]

Nope, the way society works is OBEY THE LAW. That way you need not understand anyone, cops or illegal aliens or those just like you. All you need to do is obey the law.

The trouble with absolutes, is that it is the symptom of an immature mind --- of any age.

Good luck with your world view.

[Just another Joe]

did you notice that the other cop was right behind him, looking at the cyclist too?

I don't notice that the other policeman was particularly keying on THAT bicyclist.
He was looking to his left which was the direction all the bicycles were coming from.

I saw the bicyclist swerve to the left to try to avoid the policeman, and if the policeman had kept to a walking pace the bicyclist would have passed him with room to spare.

But did you notice that the other policeman kept to a normal walking pace even after seeing his brother policeman take out the bicyclist?
I would think if he had noticed anything out of the ordinary about that particular cyclist he would have, at least, been trotting to get to the site of the take down.

[arthurus]

With the existence of this video the charges will not stane up in court, at least not on first appeal. Cops in public places need to be aware of the ubiquity of vidcams.