POGAN VERDICT is in: COMPLETELY INNOCENT OF ASSAULT
So... the verdict is in: Critical Mass Tackle Cop: INNOCENT ( !!!! )
Translation: That horrible Times Square -assault / tackle- video that the world has watched & gasped over,( & over & over ) was all a FIGMENT of your collective IMAGINATION.
Former NYPD Officer Patrick Pogen, was found =innocent (!)= today of all assault charges.
A disgrace. The only thing he was found guilty of, was lying to cover up an assault that apparently NEVER HAPPENED.
In other news: TACKLED CYCLIST MR. LONG: GUILTY of being a non-repentant marijuana user CRITICAL MASS RIDERS: GUILTY of being "professional anarchists who are taking over our streets" ( Actual Quote* See video below ) CHRIS X. BRODEUR: GUILTY of being hilariously loud and disruptive as Mr. Lynch describes the horror that "mistakes are now crimes"...*
a chilling effect on Officers (considering violent Assaults on bicyclists...)
Bill of Times-Up is hit by the press in his mobile office... what does the verdict mean?
Behind the scene's of the nightly news... "why's it funny?" "all the drama!" god'dam civilians
Bill's idea for a short trial, and a perfect witness
REMEMBER-- FRIDAY IS CRITICAL MASS !! COME ON OUT... BRING YOUR BUSINESS CARDS FOR A PROFESSIONAL ANARCHIST NETWORKING SESSION... Union Square, NYC 7:00 PM...
*we are proud to be featuring the Christopher X. Brodeur uncommonly LOUD audio/rant that you can't hear on the news ( man they have good directional mics... ) as police rep Mr. Lynch gave his Chief Wiggum meets Mayor Quimby spin for more on the mysterious Mr. Brodeur: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_X._Brodeur
Officer Pogen Trial - "critical tackle" victim's Day in court
the question is, who is the victim here? tackled cyclist Christopher Long, or Officer Pogen...
The obvious answer, to the faithful Team Spider followers would of course be the man VIOLENTLY LAUNCHED from his bicycle for riding in a Critical Mass ride. But, being notoriously rebellious and out of step with the norm, we here in Team Spider'dom have to ask, is Officer Pogen the real victim here?
He was a Rookie cop and basically fired for his FIRST ARREST. Maybe he would have become a good public servant, not a cautionary tale that rookies around the 5 boro's will inevitably reference for years to come... "slow down Rookie, Don't pull a Pogen and get fired on collar #1" "watch out for YouTube."
Now Officer Pogen, already fired, is on trial. He has to answer for what his training lacked, or was ill informed, out of date, coached maybe by mentors out of touch with technology, and the repercussions it can bring. It HAS apparently been Standard Operating Procedure for years for Officers to charge anyone they beat up, with "assault on an Officer". Its a quick and easy way to get the person you beat up to suddenly pray HE isn't going to see the inside of a courtroom at all, for fear HE may be going to jail. Suddenly getting "time served" for getting -beaten senseless- seems like a sweet deal.
I suspect that when some mentor officer coached strapping young officer Pogen on how to fill out his report, the soft in the middle elder was not yet familiar with the power of VIRAL VIDEO. Unknowing that as Pogen was Standard Operating imProperly filling out his paper work, the first wave of momentum was starting to propel the video of Pogen's arrest around the globe.
Anyone can post a video on youtube, as we ALL know... but not everyone can become a viral video superstar, forwarded from desktop to desktop, digital water cooler to digital water cooler, getting multiple views from each person, before they forward it to the next person. All the while in disbelief of the brief but telling video. Not knowing their wasted office time would soon launch the video to be on the FRONT PAGE of the YouTube site, as the "most viewed" video, which equates to EVEN MORE VIEWS... Pogen's libel ridden report would be his undoing before the ink even dried.
All for doing what is completely S.O.P. for officer's assigned to what the powers that need to be, view as DISSENT. Targeting, over-reacting and suppressing basic constitutional rights. Rights which are barely even symbolic at this point, and seldom used by most citizens, and quietly fading away. The right to assemble without commercial goals, or any sponsorship or corporate / homogenous goals what so ever.... the right to hoot and hollar and act crazy with your idealistic friends without being physically assaulted to the point that you are lucky to not have your neck broken, the basic right to "think outside of the box", a concept heavily rewarded if / when profitable, but for the pioneers who take the lumps and none of the profits for the proliferation, (if not revolution) of bicycling in this city, nor less the country at large, it is rarely rewarded or even appreciated. Try to watch TV or read a magazine without find a Bank ad, print campaign, or even perscription drug ad without some bicycle imagery in it. A person who just avoided an ATM fee? Clearly shown by the helmeted hottie riding a clean city street that could only exist on a Hollywood back lot or Canada. Finally found a perscription pill that alleviated your chronic allergies? Of course she did, as the animated rainbow of streaming flowers following the yellow sun dress wearing earth goddess who probably doesnt get enough SAG commercial contract work to actually have health insurance illustrates. The bike silohette is the peace sign of our new times, as loaded with meaning and symbolism as a crucifix, but more fun to ride.
Sadly, Officer Pogen is going to have plenty of time to ride, though i suspect his now broken lineage of a cop family may have taught him how to target and assault, but not how to relax and think out of the box. Just how to fill the boxes out wrong. And that is a tragedy in itself.
X.
Christopher Long, now a Paparatzi darling, has improved his DODGE EM skills
