Bodyslammed cyclist to sue NYPD

Cyclist Christopher Long, who was shown getting bodyslammed by Officer Patrick Pogan in a bystander's video said he plans to sue the police department for the assault and false imprisonment.

It’s not really personal. [Pogan], unfortunately, is going to be a scapegoat in this situation because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think that the department really helped him do what he did, because he felt safe to act that way. He felt entitled to act that way. That’s the department, culturally. The department set him up for failure. He committed a crime, he assaulted me. He didn’t do that by himself.

Long was asked if he considers himself an "activist":

Things like bicycle activism only happen in New York City. We have 130,000 daily bicycle riders, and yet we still feel like we need bicycle activists? I think bicycles are inherently empowering because they’re inexpensive and they’re a reliable mode of transportation. I would consider myself someone who advocates the use of bicycles.

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On activism, Alan Snel writes as the Cycling Examiner and tells cyclists about the power in organization.