NEW YORK – The clash between the rookie police officer and the bike-riding activist happened in an instant. The fallout lasted for almost two years after video of the Times Square confrontation became a YouTube sensation.
It ended yesterday as former officer Patrick Pogan’s case was closed without jail time after he was convicted of lying about the 2008 incident. Pogan, 24, had gone to a Manhattan court facing the possibility of up to four years in prison, but a judge turned down prosecutors’ request for time behind bars and even a defence lawyer’s suggestion of community service.
Jurors in April acquitted Pogan of assault and harassment in his 2008 encounter with pro-cycling activist Christopher Long. But Pogan was convicted of lying after a witness’ video contradicted his account in a court document.
Pogan, then about 10 days out of the police academy, was assigned to keep order and watch out for traffic violations as a loosely knit bike protest called Critical Mass passed through Times Square on July 25, 2008.
Pogan said he told Long to stop to get ticketed for such infractions as taking his hands off his handlebars. Long kept going, and he testified he never heard any instruction to stop.
Pogan initially reported that Long steered into him and knocked him down, but a tourist’s video showed the officer striding over to Long and shoving him off his bike.
The video has garnered more than two million YouTube views.
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