Posted on 12/16/2008 9:41:42 AM PST by BGHater
A grand jury indictment is expected to be unsealed Tuesday in the case of a New York City police officer shown in video footage knocking a bicyclist to the ground in Times Square.
Officer Patrick Pogan has been told to appear for arraignment on charges in the indictment in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, said his attorney Stu London.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the charges against Pogan are expected to be misdemeanor assault and felony filing of a false instrument.
"He denies any wrongdoing in this matter," London said. "The video in question doesn't show the reckless behavior of the bicyclist prior to Officer Pogan taking police action. He was clearly disruptive and in accordance with the type of behavior the office was trained to prevent or stop."
Pogan was stripped of his badge and gun and assigned to desk duty after video emerged from the July 25 Critical Mass bicycle ride. The footage, shown widely on YouTube, showed Pogan shoving Christopher Long off his bike.
After the event, a monthly bike ride held around the world to draw attention to alternatives to motor vehicles, police said Long was arrested because he was obstructing traffic and had deliberately steered his bicycle into an officer.
In September, charges against Long were dismissed. Long's attorney, who had said his client is considering suing the city, could not be reached Monday.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
You said — “The cop may have been wrong, but Critical Mass cyclists are nothing but self-indulgent bullies.”
I heard about a Critical Mass riding in Portland, OR a number of years ago. They were supposed to be coming down the street right where I was going to be with my bike. They had a police escort (in cars) and they just rode on by and I jumped in there to ride along and be able to say, “I rode in a Critical Mass ride...” LOL...
That’s my one and only time of riding in one of those. In Portland, OR, it was no big deal. Perhaps it is elsewhere, I don’t know...
If course, in Portland, you’ve got bike lanes in the streets and they’ve got all sorts of bike riders around, just normally.
AND..., that reminds me of one time that I got stopped by a Portland Police officer for supposedly running a stop sign... dontcha know. I was riding down a side street that had a stop sign every two blocks (so every other block had one). I saw a police car parked right in the middle of the road and not going anywhere (from about six blocks back). When I got up to him, I saw that he wasn’t going anywhere (as he had not moved in all that time). So, I came up behind him, and passed on the left and turned left at the corner.
As soon as I did that, he turned on his lights and “pulled me over” (on my bike... LOL...). He said I ran the stop sign — but — there was no stop sign there (every two blocks there was one, but that wasn’t the corner for the stop sign, it was a block back). I told him that I didn’t run a stop sign and he said I sure did and went to point to it — and — it wasn’t there... ooops... LOL...
He looked sorta stupid and said something like bike riders had to be careful because they’ll get hit by cars and so on and I just shook my head yes and stuff and then he let me go...
—
One of the things that you are told, being a bike rider, though — is when you are riding in the street, that, for safety’s sake, you need to “take the lane” — instead of riding real close to the edge of the curb... That’s because when you ride close to the edge, cars try to pass you that way. But, if you “take the lane”, cars can’t pass you in *that lane* and have to switch lanes to go around you — which is a lot better. Also, I always have a flashing red light in the rear so that I’m even noticed in the daytime, too. And..., I have a flashing white light in front, so that when you cross driveways or go through intersections that someone doesn’t pull out right in front of you. You’ll “lose” with a car.... :-)
i think there is a difference.
Sometimes the video only tells part of the story. Unfortunately, people sometimes forget that.
I am confident the jury in this case will take their responsiblities more seriously than the hanging judges we have on this thread.
When CNN’ws “on-air reporters” break bad?
No, unfortunately for Pogan, what he describes in the the criminal complaint he filed doesn't in any way resemble the story he told once he learned there was video footage.
Peeved or not, you would lose in VA.
Not to speak for DogBarkTree, but it could be that his definition of "cycle nazi" is somebody who gets together with a couple thousand other cyclists, who ignore the law and take over the center of a city, brutalizing anybody who comes in their path.
Which would differentiate him from your garden-variety cyclist who is just riding along like a civilized person.
Can’t be me, then. I never go into any cities.
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Now it looks right.
let's say some ex-girl of yours decided to call the cops and make a false report that you threatened her with a weapon or something. she calls your boss about it, and you're fired.
Do you know where I can find a copy of his later deposition?
I’ve been following this case for the past four months, as well.
The officer wrote a signed (sworn) police report that the cyclist rode directly at HIM (the offending officer) and ran into the officer, knocking him down and injuring him. Then the officer said the suspect was injured “resisting arrest”.
That’s why the cyclist was charged with assault on a police officer. The didn’t charge him because he tried to hit another officer. They charged him because the officer said the cyclist hit HIM.
Maybe the cop should have gotten the mystery officer to sign a report, too?
Bingo.
“To Protect and Swerve”
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Reminds me of the two Border Patrol Agents serving 10 years in prison. I wonder if they will charge the officer with being in possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.
Yes, and neither of them is a violent act.
Well, except the part where the officer assaults the guy on the bike.
Well, if the police aren't around, I guess that would leave some cyclists, tragically, un-tackled...
I don’t know the story behind the picture, but I would guess the police escort cruiser swerved to avoid the drunk driver, and exposed the cyclists to a head on.
you come see one of these "protests" and tell me what you think of the cyclists behavior. this is not a sunday ride through the park.
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