NEW YORK, July 29, 2008
Cop Caught On Tape Body-Checking Cyclist
NYC Officer Stripped Of Badge After Being Seen Knocking Over Protester In YouTube Video
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Play CBS Video Video Cop Strikes Bicyclist On Tape "Caught On Tape": Video of a New York City policeman striking an unprovoked bicyclist is raising concerns about police brutality. The officer has since been placed on desk duty.
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A video still taken from the Critical Mass ride in New York City, July 25, 2008. (CBS)
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Interactive Crime Beat Statistics and specifics on crime in America.
The video was recorded Friday at the Critical Mass ride, a monthly protest of urban reliance on motor vehicles.
The video, posted anonymously, shows the officer standing in the street as bikes whiz past. He moves toward a cyclist and violently knocks him to the ground in front of crowds of people.
The officer in the video was placed on desk duty pending the outcome of a police department investigation, chief police spokesman Paul Browne said. The officer's name wasn't released.
The biker, Christopher Long, of Hoboken, N.J., was arrested because he was obstructing traffic in the heart of Times Square, a criminal complaint said. He was charged with attempted assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
The complaint said Long, 29, deliberately steered his bicycle into the officer, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
During his arrest, Long squirmed and kicked, saying to the officers, "You are pawns in the game. I'm gonna have your job," the complaint said.
There were no other arrests during the ride.
Long's lawyer, David Rankin, said he hopes the Manhattan district attorney's office will drop the charges. The district attorney's office said it was investigating.
Long's next court date was set for Sept. 5.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 134 Comments
- The first duty of a good cop should be the removal of bad cops.
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 11:51 AM : Jul 30, 2008
Well said
Regards. - Reply to this comment
- patriot12346: i agree
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- honestabe8
I know about the distrust between police and communities. That is why i went back to school and finished my degree. I wanted to help correct this situation. I found it most evident in the ghetto neighborhoods, and not always without a reason. But i also saw where these people would not help themselves by helping the police and leaving themselves open to the crimials then still wanting to blame the police. If they want their neighborhoods cleaned up and crime free they also have to make an effort. The police cannot do it when every time they go there they are met with a wall of silence. - Reply to this comment
- patriot12346: i can only speak for myself, but here is my issue with police. police used to be constables, keeping the peace. at some point they started dressing in swat team uniforms, looking more like an occupying force than peace keepers. also, it seems that "to fine and collect" should be on the side of the cars, rather than "to protect and serve". much of this is at the foot of the drug wars.
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- kazadodan
I don''t want to shut anyine up. I want to find out what the problems are between the public and police and then work on changing them. - Reply to this comment
- vnveeran72
I am sorry to hear your opinion of police. I have just the opposite opinion and experience. I always liked helping people. I did become bitter over time with the way the justice system seemed not to work, but i am still pro police. - Reply to this comment
- rushlimpdrug
With a screen name like yours and you call me stupid ? Look i also think this cop was wrong and should be held accountable for his actions like anyone else. But i do not believe the majority of police ar bad. I am retired law enforcement and i would never have tolerated a fellow officer abusing his position. After 15 years i never saw any who did. I think they are underpaid and overworked for the most part. When i was working i never received a pay raise other than being promoted the whole time because the state said they couldn''t afford pay raises. With the economy the way it was qwe were more worried abiout hacving jobs than pay raises, but we did our jobs honestly. Hold police accountable but also give credit where due. They do a lot of good for their communities. - Reply to this comment
- Are there others out there who feel terribly disappointed by our "finest"?
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Posted by LMartinK at 10:37 PM : Jul 29, 2008
+ report abuse
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It is the drug war. They have been given more and more and more power for decades in the supposed war on drugs, and you know "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Reply to this comment
- You say that out of control thug" as if it is just one. The cops today have never been more despised. It is the government''s fault, more than individual cops. They made the standards, Then Lowered The standards to like you said recruit sociopaths,
and Thrill Killers", especially NY! - Reply to this comment
- The cop in question needs to be held accountable by the department.
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- Posted by rushlimpdrug at 09:06 PM : Jul 29, 2008
+ report abuse
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its natural for criminals and the criminally minded to hate authority.. - Reply to this comment
- We need a Federal law that allows (non felon) citizens to carry loaded guns. Instead of spending thousand of dollars to get rid of this PIG we could have done it for the cost of a bullet.
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All of you who are bad mouthing police. Who are you going to call when you are attacked by a vicious criminal ? You want to blame all police for the actions of a few. Rime for a reality check.
Posted by patriot12436 at 07:30 PM
Ok, it''s official.
You are stupid.
Have a nice bike ride.- Reply to this comment
- Pretty clear case. A cop decides to kick some guy''s butt, and trumps up a load of charges to save face.
The tape proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only does the cyclist swerve to avoid the cop, but the cop actually charged at him so he could body slam the bicyclist.
The cop should be fired and prosecuted for assault, and all charges dropped against the cyclist.
The cyclist should also sue the city for putting that out-of-control thug in a uniform. What a disgrace to himself, and the police force he serves on.
We should watch this case carefully, to ensure justice is done regarding this clear abuse of power.
p.s. Although cops are the people we call for protection from criminals, that does not mean they can beat up and abuse the citizenry on a whim and expect to get away with it.
We were fortunate that someone taped the incident - who knows how many incidents of abuse were not corrected. Make an example out of this idiot cop. - Reply to this comment
- CONTRARY TO SOME COMMENTS, I FULLY BACK THE POLICE IN MOST SITUATIONS. HOWEVER THIS IS ONE OF THE WORST CASES OF ABUSE. HE EVEN USES THE EXCUSE THAT HE WAS RUN INTO. MY GOD..THIS IS A ROOKIE NO LESS...CAN YOU IMAGINE IF HE WAS IN A REAL PROTEST SITUATION, HOW HE WOULD HANDLE THINGS!! HE SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO WEAR THE UNIFORM AGAIN. WHAT ARE WE TURNING INTO....IT''S LIKE THE COMMUNIST SOLDIERS IN TIANNIMAN SQUARE.
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- I just HOPE that this will be throughly investigated by unbias people and a FAIR settlement to this situation occur. We KNOW how the law can and DO intimidate us at times and WE MUST DEMAND OUR RIGHTS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION...W/O our constitutional rights we have NOTHING. Also watch the news but be VERY mindful of what UR being told...ALL THE MEDIA IS FINANCED AND THEREFORE OWNED BY THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANKERS AND THIS INCLUDES PBS.What this guy received was only a small portion of what they have planned for us all. EVEN though the taser gun has KILLED a good many folks they still use them and insist they don''t kill...WE MUST DEMAND THEY STOP USING THEM or We''ll all be reduced eventually to nothing but over-ruled puppets afraid of our gov''t!
- Reply to this comment
- All of you who are bad mouthing police. Who are you going to call when you are attacked by a vicious criminal ? You want to blame all police for the actions of a few. Rime for a reality check.
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Posted by patriot12436 at 07:30 PM : Jul 29, 2008
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I''ve never met an honest cop in my life, and I''ve known a lot of them. Many join the Force because they can exercise "Authority" over others, and come to believe they have the right to do anything they like to others as they are the "Law". Many are Sociopathic Personalities, and they still hire them.
I''d have to say the good ones are few and far between.
Personally, I hate Cops, have never needed a Cop, and will never need a Cop to do anything for me. I own guns, no need for a Cop, (unless of course I need Tasered, Beaten, Robbed, Murdered, or Ticketed.) - Reply to this comment
- Lordy! That''s blatant. And then they have the nerve to cite the *cyclist*. It looks to me as though the cyclist was trying to avoid the officer, and the officer was clearly the aggressor.
Granted, Critical Mass folks can be real "in your face." But this behavior by the officer is inexcusable. - Reply to this comment
