A cyclist assaulted by a former rookie cop in Times Square last year is filing a $1.5 million lawsuit against the NYPD for attempting to cover up the unprovoked attack. 30-year-old Christopher Long was bicycling through Times Square as part of a July 2008 Critical Mass ride when then-cop Patrick Pogan, just three weeks on the job, tackled him to the pavement.
Pogan arrested Long for assault, resisting arresting and disorderly conduct, falsely testifying that Long swerved and then ran his bicycle into him, causing him to fall and “suffer lacerations†on his arms. The video below, shot by a bystander, cleared Long of charges and led to Pogan’s firing for perjuring police reports.
Long’s lawyer, Jonathan Moore, points out that “Nobody would have cried foul if it wasn’t for that video,” and says the experience put Long, who is working on a farm in Wisconsin, through “psychological trauma, which explains why he is not living in New York City right now.”
Im so happy that pig got the ax. I hope that Mr. Long gets every penny of the settlement. FTP
Andrew, I can't agree more. Cops are the face of the law and are here to serve and protect the citizens NOT be above the law and treat their badges as a waiver for being a gang of jocks.
To be honest $1.5 Million does seem like quite a small amount for such a brazen act.
Now, if only it had happened in Tenessee; the cyclist would have been shot, the cop would have become mayor, the film would have been confiscated and the guy taking the film would have disappeared….
@Colin : You say that like it would have been a good thing for it to happen in Tenessee. Are you from Tenessee? Has this kind of thing happened to you? Or are you a hater of cyclists?
Pigs. Can't trust em.
That cop should be thrown in jail, but you all (andrew, thomas, and martin) are all retarded. $1.5M for getting knocked off your bike??? Go out and earn money like everybody else, you losers. His damages should be covered and that's it. You all make me sick looking for your friggin handouts.
I think someone's voice of reason is a butt hurt republican.
The point of the cash is to punish the institution, which hopefully creates a disincentive in regards to something like it from happening again VoR.
I'd prefer that Pogan's direct supervisor, partner, training instructors, and any other cops in the area at the time of attack would also be fired, along with Pogan's father losing his pension.
If that happened, then I'm with Voice of Reason on damages.
…and I can promise all those firings and loss of pension would get better results than a 1.5 million dollar suit. Problem is, this is the system we have, so *shrug*
No, the $1.500.000 is not for being pushed from the bike. It is for being arrested and charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.