Comments on: Police Officer Assaults NY Critical Mass Biker

By: US Citizen 07

US Citizen 07 — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 23:48:20 +0000

I’m a member of grassroots/netroots and just received this……

http://www.grassrootsnetroots.org/articles/article_14423.cfm

August 30, 2008 — Today, for the first time in my life, I had guns pointed at me. One of the police officers told me over a loud-speaker: “Get out of the line of fire or we will shoot!” I can’t believe the cops said they’d shoot me! In Minneapolis!

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 04:57:57 +0000

I’m no fan of CM. I think they do bike commuters a big disservice. If you read any of the comments at the Police Rant forum, you’ll see that there is no love among those posters for bikers, whom they tend to judge based on the actions of the CM rides, and this incident certainly has not helped at all.
This video is shocking, but it’s also dangerous for what it doesn’t show. We don’t know what prompted the take-down. There is no way to know whether it was arbitrary or purposeful. Was there an infraction up the street, or was he minding his own business? The camera’s timing is significant in its turn toward the officer. Did the videoer suspect something was going to happen? If so, why?
The officer signed an affidavit saying he was knocked to the ground, but the video doesn’t conclusively show one way or the other. The affidavit does not indicate that there were any other charges filed against the rider except for what happened immediately in the collision, so there is question about the officer’s motive.
So, while all of the CMers are getting all fired up about police brutality, the cops are congratulating their brother on the style and technique of his take-down.
IMHO, the CMers are just inflaming an already tense situation. I’m sorry the biker was knocked down, and I’m sorry the cop got hit, but most of all, I’m sorry that some drivers (and cops, maybe) on my way to work are going to think about this video when they see me riding.

By: kvanmetter

kvanmetter — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 08:04:34 +0000

This looks like an unprovoked attack to me, but I wonder what the officer saw coming toward him. Cops are legally allowed to do any number of things which would appear (and have appeared) to be felony assault under other circumstances.
Critical massholes, you need to realize you’re not making friends and influencing people. In my personal experience, too many massers are partying first, with little or no thought to what else might be happening. On one of the three Masses I’ve ridden, in Portland Oregon no less, the comments from motorists were really unpleasant, such as the passenger stating to the driver of an SUV, “Unless you hit them, they won’t stop.” It took a bike cop to really drive home the message though, as he pointed out that the most common refrain from motorists and pedestrians was, “What is this?” “What’s going on?” “Where are they going?”
I didn’t have a good answer, and the kids on funnybikes and topless lesbian couriers didn’t either. Nobody should be assaulted like that, but if you’re being stupid in traffic, don’t be surprised if someone gets upset.

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:09:49 +0000

If not for the video, the cyclist would be facing charges, just like the many innocent people in jail right now.

It’s just a shame that so many people think cops are basically honest, when in fact, they are basically dishonest.

They are taught and trained to get convictions by carefully choosing words. They aren’t trained to tell the truth. Thats a fact.

Cops are good guys in general.. why do I say that? because, good people do horrible things, the problem is the system. They think they are doing the right thing by lying and circumventing safeguards and the judicial system. Thats what they’ve been taught and really believe.

By: mule1

mule1 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:55:36 +0000

I’m with johhnypebs. Critical mass rides just make us look bad.

By: XchokeX

XchokeX — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:21:45 +0000

BOOSH!

I support CM in general and since we can’t see what the cyclist was doing before he got it we can’t make a judgment based only on the video. All of the cyclists were bypassing stopped traffic, so who knows what else was going on. In my experience, cops are good guys in general and don’t mess with you unless you deserve it or appear to deserve it.

By: Quinn

Quinn — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:04:20 +0000

I too do Not agree with critical mass, however, I stick myself out there when I need motorist to realize that I (a bike) is a motor vehicle too, That action stems from having a police department that brutalizes cyclist, but rather blame EVERY incident involving a cyclist,.. On the cyclist.

By: Blue

Blue — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:49:36 +0000

Are we required by law to let police officers assault us (no “resisting arrest”)? I mean other than capturing on video what they do to you, there is nothing you can do right?

By: Adam Durand

Adam Durand — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:46:23 +0000

Without this video to refute the cop’s story, I wonder if the cyclist would have seen jail time for assaulting the cop . . .

By: Blue

Blue — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:27:06 +0000

I think I am going to buy a video camera for my bike now.

There are just way too many lying brutes out there.