Police Linebacker

[Beckwin]

here are some fun details:

The cop reported that the cyclist "steered [his] bicycle in the direction of [the cop] and drove [his] bicycle directly into [cop's] body, causing [cop] to fall to the ground and causing [cop] to suffer lacerations on [his] forearms."

now, you'd think if the cop had a reason to tackle the guy, he'd perhaps include that on the incident report and not blatantly lie about what happened (in front of a crowd and what would end up being a youtube video). Wouldn't the cop, assuming he was in the right, perhaps write something about how "cyclist ran a red light and nearly ran into a pedestrian before being apprehended" or "cyclist matched description of a hit-and-run incident earlier in the ride reported by Officer Jones" or something similar?

No, dickhead cop lied about his specific altercation with the cyclist on the official report.

smokinggun link, with report:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive...9081bike1.html

[Kuya]

That is referring to the incident that was caught on tape?

[Beckwin]

correct.

the initial "infraction" supposedly committed by Long was "disorderly conduct" by obstructing traffic (basically, a blanket charge against anyone in the ride they felt like ticketing/arresting, you can read the specifics in thesmokinggun link). so basically, lane change violation. the "attempted assault in the third degree" charge is the entirely fabricated account of the cyclist ramming into the officer, knocking him down, and causing lacerations (video proves that as blatantly false). The video also seems to contradict the officer's report that he told the cyclist to stop, and that he resisted arrest (I didn't see much resistance against getting leveled onto a sidewalk and immediately pinned down).

basically, cop is a dickbag who falsified a report. oh, and a minor irony: the report form has the following as the last line before signature:

"False statements made herein are punishable as a Class A misdemeanor pursuant to section....."

[Kuya]

If all of this is true, then his goose is cooked.

Nice hit though.

[KuaiEQ]

this is why you dont fuck with cops. never know when your gonna get tackled or shot.

[Lockecole7]

Every other cyclist that passes the cops in the video gives them at least a yard of two and most of them aren't accelerating as they pass. The guy who gets taken out is pedaling hard and gives him inches.

I'm sorry, you must be watching the video in the OTHER topic about the policeman flooring a bicyclist, cause nothing of the sort happens. That cop isn't crossing the street, as you can see all of the cops are stationary until he decides to make an obvious b-line for that specific biker. Honestly though that makes me think he had a reason to floor him...but thats up for debate.

[Elmer the Pointy]

I ride my bike hours a day back and forth from lessons while dodging asshole drivers.

I still say, fuck those Critical Mass douchebags. Great idea! Protest for a greener environment by forcing hundreds of cars to idle out exhaust into the air instead of get to their destinations. Not to mention any emergency vehicles that they block... but hey, dying people are too reliant on modern-day automobiles.

Considering how much freedom we enjoy in America, it's puzzling why people are so eager to crucify law enforcement and act like we live in some 3rd world police state. These cycling cocks know they're circumventing protest laws, and they know they are deliberately fucking up everyone's evening. Despite all that, cops are there keeping the peace, making sure they don't get run over. Does that sound like a 'pawn in the machine?' No, it sounds like a goddamn waste of time making sure some anarchist faggot doesn't get a tire up his ass while he holds up who knows how many honest, everyday people who just want to get home.

This is just like the stupid college tazing incident. Post the smallest video clip possible for shock value and watch everyone gasp in horror.

[Kuya]

The game, man, THE GAME.

[Elmer the Pointy]

I'd still like to see someone shop the video and superimpose a chess piece over the cop, so it looks like an actual pawn rams the cyclist.

[Bingbong]

I ride my bike hours a day back and forth from lessons while dodging asshole drivers.

I still say, fuck those Critical Mass douchebags. Great idea! Protest for a greener environment by forcing hundreds of cars to idle out exhaust into the air instead of get to their destinations. Not to mention any emergency vehicles that they block... but hey, dying people are too reliant on modern-day automobiles.

Considering how much freedom we enjoy in America, it's puzzling why people are so eager to crucify law enforcement and act like we live in some 3rd world police state. These cycling cocks know they're circumventing protest laws, and they know they are deliberately fucking up everyone's evening. Despite all that, cops are there keeping the peace, making sure they don't get run over. Does that sound like a 'pawn in the machine?' No, it sounds like a goddamn waste of time making sure some anarchist faggot doesn't get a tire up his ass while he holds up who knows how many honest, everyday people who just want to get home.

This is just like the stupid college tazing incident. Post the smallest video clip possible for shock value and watch everyone gasp in horror.

This is the correct answer.
Thank you for the logic Elmer, you are my hero.

If the MC asshole isn't disturbing the peace, and messing up traffic with all his buddies, this incident never happens. Did he deserve to be hit like that, probably not, but on the other end, should he have been protesting in a way the screws up the right of normal people to not be involved in a protest. No he shouldn't have. Hold up signs, file for your permits, sit outside city hall... just get the fuck out of the way of the normal people who don't care for your goofball views.

Maybe then you won't get jacked up by a pissed off cop.
I watched the video a dozen times, that hit is awesome. Wish the guy had a better angle on the aftermath though.

[Beckwin]

A judge already ruled that CM style of protest didn't require special permit/zoning/whatever. Tough shit.

If you don't like what CM does/stands for that's your opinion and that's fine, but saying the cyclist deserved is basically expressing support for police brutality (the hit) and corruption (falsifying reports). You can very well argue that the CM people should have been ticketed (a little research shows that they often are). But don't be a huge tool just because protesters annoy you; there could come a time where you might want to speak out politically and I can be damn sure in saying you wouldn't wanna get fucked with like that.

And on the topic of complaining about cops: it's absolutely vital to do so in response to flagrant abuses of power. Conservatives talk a lot about the 2nd amendment as a means to protect against government oppression, but in actuality the 1st is a hell of a lot more effective in the real world. Instead of uh, carrying a gun to shoot a cop who steps over the line?... you raise some hell, get other people to also raise some hell, and then you have the police chief and possibly mayor shitting bricks over public outcry rather than the wave of police sympathy/support that follows the shooting of an officer (for an extreme contrast). The same goes for all government offices and agencies: it's the only way to hold them accountable and for the public to keep them in check. It's not about thinking we're in a 3rd world police state; it's to make sure we never slip and inch towards that and keeping our rights intact.

[Norellicus]

If you don't like what CM does/stands for that's your opinion and that's fine, but saying the cyclist deserved is basically expressing support for police brutality (the hit) and corruption (falsifying reports).

Holy hell, how do you come to this conclusion? I think it's funny that CM cyclist gets knocked out and got what (I felt) was coming to him, so that makes me supporting of police brutality and corruption?

If you're correct with the police report information, well then the cop fucked up. But people were awfully quick to pass judgment (as they so often are) simply based on a video that says ZOMG POLICE BRUTALITY AT PEACEFUL PROTEST, even before the police report info was made available. I reserved my judgment until more info was available, which it now is, and as such I think the cop acted in the wrong.

It's still funny as hell to watch the kid eat pavement, regardless of the end result of the cop's motivations.

[Beckwin]

well holding up traffic doesn't involve people getting hurt, so saying he deserved getting tackled off his bike onto a sidewalk for it is uh, kinda draconian. of course it's "fun" to talk about people deserving the shit kicked out of them for some people, but I'm pretty sure it stops being funny when you get fucked with for no real good reason.

And the kid is a 29 year old Army veteran who works as a grocer in NJ, according to reports. stereotypical dirty hippie protester rite?

[Kuya]

Pawn in the game, lol.

[Beckwin]

yes kuya, it's a colorful way of calling someone a tool. you really seem to like it though.

[dude]

How else would you stop him? Spike strips ?

[archibaldcrane]

yes kuya, it's a colorful way of calling someone a tool. you really seem to like it though.

That's the problem. It's not like the police department issued a "tackle all bicyclists on sight" missive - this cop was just being a dickhead. He wasn't "just following orders" - he wasn't being a "pawn". The bicyclist just wants to self-aggrandize his situation as being oppressed by the system, as opposed to just running into a dickhead.

[Kuya]

yes kuya, it's a colorful way of calling someone a tool. you really seem to like it though.

I just find it ironic that an army veteran would call a cop, a pawn in the game. Plus, what Archi said.

[Bingbong]

well holding up traffic doesn't involve people getting hurt, so saying he deserved getting tackled off his bike onto a sidewalk for it is uh, kinda draconian.

So there was not a single ambulance, fire or police vehicle in any of the traffic that held up that got slowed down because the douche bags protest the way they did? It wasn't on the video... I know, but the video isn't the whole story.

If a protest drags in people that want nothing to do with either side of the issue being protested, it should be stopped.
People don't like shit, I get it... but don't screw up my day and my life because you think you have an important point to prove.

What is the motivation for these people anyway? I'm sure they aren't all driving in traffic because 'woohoo we're raising awareness!' I would tend to bet that most of them protest in this manner because it's disruptive, and messes with people who don't care.

That's the other half of the whole freedom of speech thing, yeah you can say what you want, but I don't have to give a shit if I don't want to.

[Beckwin]

all protest is by nature disruptive, stop being naieve. however the idea is that it's non-violent. and by the way, if anyone was actually impeding an emergency vehicle, they can and likely would be cited for it- obviously that wasn't the case.

as for the "pawn in the game" comment... you can think it's silly, but there's no logical way to link it to justifying the hit in the first place- chronologically it just doesn't work. Dude was pissed after getting leveled by the cop for no reason, told him he was a tool and his ass would get fired. If you want to read into the comment more, you could interpret it as the cop being a pawn of authoritarianism in general, but I'm pretty sure the comment was reactionary and definitely not planned so reading too much into it is trying too hard.