Posted on 07/29/2008 9:36:14 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
tire spikes, 100 yards of tire spikes and marbles.
Don't know if you've ever been hit by a cyclist going 20 mph but the chance of serious injury is very real. This is not a bunch of bicyclists "Riding for the Cure", they are anarchists who use violence, intimidation and vandalism to achieve their ends. The 2 officers are clearly walking to the left curb at a normal pace well before the cyclist comes into the picture. All other cyclist, save one other, give them wide berth. Watch carefully as the cyclist moves left and then turns back to the right, into the officer just before the collision. Yes he does launch into him, just as any sane person would do if 200 lbs was coming at coming at him at 20 mph.
I guess in your world he should have leaped out of the way of the speeding biker and been justly intimidated.
LOL...hey, we both know only the ones INTERESTED go into the thread to pick a bone...
It is like anything...If a bunch of guys went into a specialty store and purchased some item, you couldn’t say all guys are into that thing...just those who go in.
I think there are people who are anti-bicycle, but...I don’t think they are the majority. I will bet there are maybe 25% who really like riding bikes...25% who just enjoy it, 25% who are completely indifferent, and 25% who dislike it.
And they say 67.3% of statistics are fabricated out of whole cloth...:)
No, we have the policeman's report in its entirety:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0729081bike1.html
"Deponent (cop) further states that the defendent steered the defendent's bicycle in the direction of the deponent and drove defendent's bicycle directly into the deponent's body, causing deponent to fall to the ground and causing deponent to suffer lacerations on deponent's forearms."
Those are the cop's own words in his signed statement, and they are a complete load of crap.
Well he could always tryout for the WWE!
Critical Mass rides to provoke. It is a provocation.
I’d like to see more focus on assault by police officers in city jails where citizens in the holding cells are subject to assault while they are in “protective” custody.
And any attacks by a police officer in uniform whether in the line of duty or not put the city at risk of a massive lawsuit. Officers are a “protected” class and self-defense against a law enforcement officer (even one who is not enforcing the law) can itself be a charge (assaulting an officer).
They were keeping an eye on the oncoming cyclists. The cyclists were swerving to go around the cops as they were walking to the curb.
Suddenly, Pogan takes two quick steps and colcocks a cyclist at the high part of his swerve and sends him flying on to the sidewalk with a forearm shiver.
My guess is that the cyclist mouthed off to the cop as he had to swerve and the cop lost it. That's what the timing seems like to me.
The cop was wrong, but it was a neat little matador move to get the forearm in above the handlebars.
The cyclist goes from 20 mph south to 30 mph east pretty quickly.
Please see post #142.
Personally, I think the whole thing was planned and orchestrated by Mr. Long and a few of his buddies.
The camera was placed and centered on the police officers waiting for Mr. Long. After the interception another rider stops and dismounts and another stops and non-chalantly removes Mr. Longs bicycle and leaves with it. Doesn’t appear hesitant, confused or worried. More like she’s doing her part in a prepared plan of action.
You’re a rookie for two years...just so that guys like this one can be weeded out. I wager he’s toast.
I don’t see the point in giving heavy firepower to the police. If it is to restore civil order, call in the National Guard. If it is to go after those with high firepower call in the ATF.
Militarized police forces is not the answer.
He’ll probably wear a helmet and pads in the future.
Or you could read the article and get the whole story right now.
Yep. Had there been a “real” story, it would and should have been in the court document. As it was, some of the statements were outright lies per the video. If part of the cop’s sworn statement is outright fantasy, I’d say there’s a pretty good chance all of it is.
________________________________
After just two weeks on the job?
All the context is missing and the sound is missing as well.
We're only getting a tiny piece of what went on and we're asked to trust the camera man's opinion.
Something don't smell right.
“...proves he lied in his report.”
Wouldn’t be the first time.
It seems that officers will often change their testimony over what is in their report when they are called on the witness stand under oath. But the report is what gets someone arrested and charged.
A false report should also be grounds for reprimand. Too often it isn’t.
'Zactly. Long is clearly turning into Pogan just before the impact. Seems to some that the officer should have taken the hit or leaped out of the way and been justly cowed.
You can also get the cops opinion of events in his sworn statement. See post #142
Nice catch and excellent points! It certainly does appear to be a setup in light of those facts. I hope witnesses and alternative camera shots turn up that’ll shed more light on the incident.
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