More on the Critical Masshole

When you’re driving, and come up on a traffic stop – do you speed up and try to go around the officer while he’s walking to or from his car? If you come up on a DWI checkpoint, do you speed up and try to go around the officers? If you come up on an inspection/registration checkpoint, do you speed up and try to go around the officer?

Probably not, if you want to keep going.

I’ve gotten some negative feedback, heavily bent against the police (big surprise). I still hold my position, if for ANY reason a police officer walks out in front of you AS OBVIOUSLY AS THE OFFICER IN THE VIDEO DID… You STOP. Could he have put his hand out? Sure. Would it have made a difference? I doubt it. Then again, a video of a cyclist coming to a complete stop and THEN getting thrown by a police officer would be a much more convincing police brutality claim IMHO.

The cyclist made a decision in the 3 seconds between when the officer saw him and began moving to intercept – to either stop or evade. He tried to evade. He tried to lean at the cop and bump the cop out of the way while accelerating. Then at the moment when it was either the cop taking the hit from the cyclist – or defending himself – the cop forced the cyclist to the ground.

I wouldn’t do that in my car let alone on a 15lb bicycle, the video is not as clear cut as its being made out against the police in the media – there IS much room for interpretation here, but as is the case with just about every incident involving a police officer – the cop is the bad guy, guilty until proven innocent.

This morning I was watching the WB11 morning news at 8am when the male anchor appended the PBA’s comments on the incident with a loud and childish “WHATEVER.” Everyone hates the cops until they’re needed. Not to say there aren’t some douchebag cops out there – but in a case like this when there are obvious factors in that video that everyone seems to be purposely ignoring – I’ll gladly give the uniform the benefit of the doubt.

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