Bloomfield Cyclist Assaulted by NYPD Rookie

The cyclist in the middle of the latest NYPD controversy is Christopher Long of Bloomfield, NJ, who is a lot more Zen than I’d be considering the cop is clearly an outright liar and thug:

“I’m really sorry, but I’m not talking to the press,” Christopher Long, 29, said as he manned an organic fruits-and-vegetables stand at the Union Square farmers market.

“There are charges against me, and I don’t want anything to affect my case,” said Long, who had two large scabs on his knees from the body block.

Long, of New Jersey, was charged with assault and resisting arrest after the cop insisted the cyclist had tried to run him over in a Critical Mass rally Friday in Times Square.

A dramatic video starkly contradicted rookie Officer Patrick Pogan‘s statements. It shows the 22-year-old cop running toward Long and slamming him to the sidewalk.

Pogan, a former high school football lineman, has been stripped of his gun and badge while the incident is investigated.

Police sources have said the charges against Long would likely be dropped.

Long will “get over it and he’s not the type of guy to hold a grudge,” said Justin Ford, 25, a bike courier and a friend of Long’s, but Long’s lawyer said he may sue.

I hope he does sue, not just the City but the lame-ass PBA that’s defending this jerk despite the video clearly showing he’s lying about seeing “Logan weaving in and out of traffic and took action in order to help prevent a hazardous situation.

Pogan is a third-generation cop and judging by his father’s take on the situation, you have to wonder how many videos he’d have been in if YouTube were around in his day:

Pogan’s father, a retired NYPD detective who worked on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, defended his son’s actions last night. “You gotta do what you gotta do to make an arrest,” said Patrick Pogan Sr., 51, who retired in 2002.

I guess you can’t blame the offensively low starting salary for attracting this particular loser to the NYPD. Generally speaking, I’m pro-union, but the PBA is a glowing example of everything that’s wrong with them, from their defiantly standing behind guilty cops to their sacrificing new hires (and the force’s ability to properly do its job) in the last round of contract negotiations.

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