Truck driver harasses cyclists who happen to be cops. Dreams come true.

Pulled up from the comments

Before he knew it, Cooke said a dump truck began tailgating the group of nearly two dozen officers. 

The driver was beeping his horn, Cooke said, and eventually worked the truck in between the officers in the front of the pack and the back of the pack.

Only Cooke and one other officer, Cpl. Dominic Scali, were in uniform. The rest of the officers, all of whom were out on a training ride, were in plain clothes.

The truck eventually continued past the rest of the group, Cooke said, and the driver shouted obscenities out the window. The truck was about an arm's length away from officers as it passed.

But then it gets so good.

When the truck stopped at a red light at Stewart Avenue and Dorsey Road, Cooke said he got off his bike and approached the truck on foot. He said he identified himself as police and ordered the driver to hand over his license and registration.

But when the light turned green, the truck drove away, Cooke said.

Police obtained the truck's license plate number and charged the driver, Frank Worthington, 66, of Cecil County, with more than a half dozen traffic offenses.

On Monday, District Court Judge Laura Robinson fined Worthington $1,000 for reckless driving and ordered him to complete 16 hours of community service.

Good things happen when the police ride bikes. 

The Port Deposit man will complete his community service with the nonprofit Bike AAA, a group started nearly two years ago to advocate for more bicycle ridership and to educate cyclists and motorists on their rights and responsibilities on the road.

Bike AAA is not the bicycle component of AAA but rather Bicycle Advocates for Annapolis and Anne Arundel, which I have just now heard of. 

Anne Arundel State's Attorney Wes Adams said he hopes the case will teach Worthington to follow the rules of the road and draw attention to the law that motorists must give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing.

And then file this under things that were apparent.

Worthington said he didn't realize the cyclists were police.

Comments

[DE]

Cops riding bikes is indeed good. And apparently there are very many more than I thought. The "Police Unity Tour" had many of them out at Judiciary Square yesterday. Many were on road bikes with real road pedals. I laughed when I saw most treated the four-way stop at 5th and F as an Idaho stop. I actually ended up following a group down F street on my way home, and they stopped and waited at stop lights. Go Idaho stop at stop signs!

http://policeunitytour.com/

And saw a traffic control cop on a mountain bike this morning on G near 15th ride over to have a chat with someone who had parked his car in the bike lane. (The driver wasn't even in the car--apparently you feel you can do anything as long as your emergency flashers are on.) Go cops on bikes!

[SJE]

Why only $1000? Can you imagine what had happened if he had threatened the police and shouted obscenities at them when he was a pedestrian?

[Greenbelt]

DC police on bikes on the met branch trail in the afternoon. Not sure they're doing much more than socializing, but they're a presence, and the trail is crowded, so that's all good.

[T]

The one time I had to deal with cops and a driver in DC made me feel lucky that one of the cops routinely rode--both as a cop and on his own. He was able to verify everything I said to the police because he could easily picture what happened. I just wish we had more of them.

I also see them in Fairfax on occasion. I chatted with one who told me they like being on bike unless the forecast calls for rain. The real reason they liked it was because they felt it was much easier to sneak up on nefarious activity whereas their squad cars gave them away. Apparently it's helped them land some drug bugs in the counties, although he didn't elaborate much more beyond saying it.

[Mike D]

fun!

[Riley]

"Worthington said he didn't realize the cyclists were police."

Because this is perfectly acceptable behavior when the cyclists aren't cops.

[washcycle]

To be fair, I think that was his explanation for why he drove away, not why he yelled at them etc...

[Smedley Burkhart]

Two of them were apparently in uniform, but the driver saw bicyclists and behaved accordingly. Categorical perception.

[ken]

"Only Cooke and one other officer, Cpl. Dominic Scali, were in uniform."

and

"When the truck stopped at a red light at Stewart Avenue and Dorsey Road, Cooke said he got off his bike and approached the truck on foot. He said he identified himself as police ..."

so, Cooke is wearing a uniform, approaches and further identifies himself as an officer and the claim of the driver is "he didn't realize the cyclists were police"?

[washcycle]

I didn't say it was a credible explanation, but he's got to tell the judge something right?

[Crickey7]

This is the same county's prosecutor's office that declined to press charges in the death of Trish Cunningham. I'd like to think the well-deserved criticism of their craven behavior then changed some attitudes.

[Smedley Burkhart]

This guy didn't have the juice that lady apparently had, but perhaps you're right.