Cop in Famous Bike Shove Video is Fired by NYPD

The NYPD officer caught on tape bodyslamming a cyclist to the curb during a group Critical Mass ride through Times Square last July has been fired. Though charges of assault, harassment and filing a bogus police report are still pending against rookie cop Patrick Pogan, a spokesman for the NYPD confirmed that he was dismissed ten days ago and that the termination was directly related to the Critical Mass incident. But Stuart London, a lawyer for Pogan, tells the Times the NYPD didn't fire his client—he quit in order to "concentrate his efforts on fighting the criminal charges that are against him, so that when he is ultimately acquitted he can reapply to the Police Department." Referring to the NYPD's claim that Pogan was canned, London says, "They make errors all the time." Indeed! A spokesperson for advocacy group Times Up had this to say: "The NYPD is taking a heavy hand on dealing with this police officer, but we hope that Mayor Bloomberg will direct the higher-ups at the NYPD to discontinue their pattern of dangerous tactics and selective enforcement against cyclists."

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By John Del Signore in News on February 20, 2009 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

robzbuzz

what about his partner? he either was silent or lied and witnessed the whole thing. was gonna let that poor guy go down for felony assault (assault on a cop is automatically a felony) If we protect our buddies from a crime its called accessory. they do it and its called thin blue line....IMO hes just as bad if not worse than the cop who did it!

NannyState

He was the finest cop to ever disgrace that uniform.

Spirit of 76

Referring to the NYPD's claim that Pogan was canned, London says, "They make errors all the time."

They sure do. The big one in this case was hiring that loser in the first place.

RedWhiteandBrooklyn

The NYPD is so much better off without this punk-a__ed bully. $50 say he beats his wife/girlfriend.

Ed

Critical Massholes are not entirely innocent. I see them repeatedly assaulting pedestrians for getting in their way. One time, a bicyclist punching a lady in the face because she walked into his path while he was weaving in and out of traffic and she didn't see him coming. But these assaults don't get on the news because we just love to hate cops in this city.

roe

Cyclists are like anyone else, some are wonderful and considerate and some really suck.

That's neither here nor there with this case, though. In

this particular incident the cop targeted and assaulted a cyclist who wasn't doing anything wrong.

jibbly

"...repeatedly assaulting pedestrians for getting in their way...a bicyclist punching a lady in teh face because she walked into his path while he was weaving in and out of traffic..."

Show me one shred of evidence, a news blurb, a police report, a shaky camera phone picture, anything, and I'll believe that this happened. Until then I will claim to have had a dinosaur egg omelet this morning.

The bigger picture here is that there is no concerted effort by the bike riders of Critical Mass to assault or otherwise harass non-cyclists. Meanwhile the NYPD, since the 2004 RNC, has had a hardon to harass, assault, and selectively enforce laws against cyclists.

CR

Yes, but this was caught on tape, whereas what you're describing hasn't been unfortunatly. I'm not denying that it's true or not, just that Pogan's offense is convictable in this case because there's solid proof.

La Leone

I'm sure he's @ home w/his dad, Pig Pogan Sr., plotting revenge against all the stinkin' liberal cyclists who ruined his career. Good riddance to this raging asshole! Once again, hoping Christopher Long has made a full recovery.

stripe

Lets recall that this officer was indicted and scheduled to stand trial. So what happened to the trial?

NYPD typically does not want their conduct on trial --they quietly settle these cases all the time, with our tax dollars--

so they cut this guy loose, and so far nothing about a trial.

hmmmmmm

jibbly

See ya, Patty. Now don't get depressed enough to drink and drive or they'll take your license away. If that happens your only choice will be to...ride a bike.

Now what about his partner and superiors that tried to cover this up?

pete

They get flair for their uniforms for "endless pursuit of justice".

pal

don't concern yourself with bloomberg Times Up. he doesn't give a shit. when this happened he didn't do anything. it was patterson who spoke out against this.

bloomberg wants 45 million dollars to retrain educated investment bankers who screwed us - you think he cares about cyclist's rights?

pete

Remember the Police Union and pig solidarity in the court room guarantees he will get his job back. I can't find any evidence Sean Bell detectives were ever fired. I think shooting a guy 51 times is a bit more challenging to defend than just knocking over a rider and cooking up charges.

mdow

About damn time...

ed_Extinct

when he is ultimately acquitted

The best part is, the tape proves everything. Pogan will have a felony assault on his record and possibly fraud for the false police report. He'll be flippin' burgers on the Jersey Shore in no time.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

They should start by stopping the harassment of pedicab drivers.

Dude69

What does this have to do with carriage horses?

CR

What does anything felixthecat says have to do with anything else that exists in reality?

chopp3r

Oh, it's pedicab drivers now? Jesus Christ.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

dude 69, if I could type slowly for you then I would. I said PEDICAB DRIVERS. they should stop harassing Pedicab drivers.