Mike on Crime

By Samuel Maull
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A New York judge has dismissed charges against a bicyclist who was seen being body checked and knocked to the pavement by a police officer in a widely viewed YouTube video.
New Jersey resident Christopher Long was arrested in July during a Critical Mass bicycle ride through Manhattan’s Times Square.
The monthly bike rides are held around the world to draw attention to alternatives to motor vehicles.
Police claimed the 29-year-old was arrested because he was obstructing traffic and deliberately steered his bicycle into an officer.
But the video shows officer Patrick Pogan shoving Long as Long tried to steer out of the way.
Pogan has been assigned to desk duty and police say they’re still investigating.
The video has been some 1.5 million times since it was posted on YouTube soon after the incident.
As he left court on Friday, Long said he was happy not to be prosecuted and to have the case behind him. As for Pogan’s account of events in the criminal complaint, he said, “The video speaks for itself.”
Long’s lawyer, David B. Rankin, said, “We’re just very lucky this videotape surfaced, and we’re very thankful the DA’s office did the right thing in dropping these charges.”
“This was a case where the officer’s sworn testimony was contradicted by the videotape,” Rankin said. “It raises serious questions about other cases that don’t have the luxury of a videotape.”
In the same week the Long video surfaced, videotape emerged of two other incidents showing police officers beating up civilians. Those cases were being investigated by the police and the district attorney’s office.
Rankin said Long is considering a lawsuit against the city but had not yet decided.
Alicia Maxey Greene, spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney, said no decision had been made about whether to prosecute Pogan.