Sometimes LA is like NY

During a ride in Los Angeles, loosely organized by Critical Mass, protesting British Petroleum's handling of the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, an LAPD officer inexplicably kicked a passing cyclist. The incident was caught on camera by another cyclist who then shouted "what the F--- was that for?" Seven seconds later, at least two police officers converge on him, knocking him to the ground.

The internal affairs unit launched a use-of-force investigation after video of the incident was posted online and a complaint was filed by cyclists, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Saturday.

The kick is so unprofessional (and it comes from a bike cop) and if I were a cop, I'd be PO'ed about it. It doesn't even sound representative of the way most officers behaved that night.

The *vast majority* of the police along the way were helpful and accommodating. Even firefighters were out on the sidewalks outside of their stations giving high fives and waving hello. But for whatever reason the police in Hollywood were extremely aggressive and were harassing riders for no reason other than to get their kicks (I presume).

Then, they decide they had to tackle the cyclist with the camera. They couldn't ask him to pull over first? Why must cyclists always be arrested with use of force? When cops want to stop someone in a car they don't crash their car into it. They don't punch the driver through the window. 

Anyway the whole thing seems like a replay of the NYPD-Critical Mass body slam from 2008. Let's see if they falsified a police report.

Comments

[SJE]

Also watch how the prosecutors handle it.

See if there is any additional evidence from surveillance video (from the LAPD, or from nearby buildings). Unfortunately, such evidence often goes "missing" (see PG County/UMD student case from a few months ago)

[Eric_W.]

Different place, same story (It seemed almost a replay of the NYC event). Put some guys in a uniform and there is no telling what they'll do. It's amazing the American public is putting up with it as much as it has.

[Lyle]

At 00:24, the kicked cyclist was riding on the sidewalk, and appears to have been still riding on the sidewalk when the cop kicked his rear wheel.

Unprofessional perhaps, but not completely inexplicable.

[contrarian]

>Unprofessional perhaps, but not completely inexplicable.

Huh? Explicate for us.

[Steve O]

@Eric W
I see another cyclist riding on the sidewalk behind the police, but that cyclist was uninvolved in the altercation. It appears to me that the police are standing in the roadway and kicked a cyclist who was riding in the roadway. The curb is behind the police.