Comments

1
It was a tremendously stupid thing to do....but on the other hand, I'd like to know why the cop drove his motorcycle into the bike / ped in the first place.

Not that the cop would ever face discipline in our fair city, barring a drawn-out civil suit...

Anyhow, if I were on a jury for this case, I think I'd definitely see some amount of aggravation on the part of the motorcycle officer.
2
Have they named or interviewed the cop that decided to run over a protester? What was he thinking?

More and more I want to see the Feds investigate the Portland Police.
3
Do you guys remember when that guy threw the bike at the cop? That was hilarious. I mean, who throws a bike? At any rate, the bail is ridiculously high for a dumb stunt pulled by some dumb kid under the influence of adrenaline. The police have made their point; now just let him go.

And now that I think about it, the cops seem to use the "stress of the job," the "adrenaline of facing down a perp," and the need to protect themselves as adequate justification for shooting unarmed men. Shouldn't this kid get at least as much leeway? After all, the police department is on a bit of a killing spree and a cop had almost run the kid over on a motorcycle. Under those conditions, the cop is lucky all he got was a bike thrown at him. If the dumb kid were a trained member of the Portland Police Department, the motorcycle cop probably would have been shot.
4
Dude throws like a girl.
5
Just what I was thinking when I watched the video...

Why hasn't that cop been arrested yet for assaulting people *by running into them with his motorcycle?* It's clear on the video. Why is this guy free?

If this kid's case goes to trial, the cop's actions will likely lead to a civil suit against the city which will cost the citizens of Portland tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars.

Way to go Portland Police...again.
6
I don't feel like watching the video again, is the same person who threw the bike also the same person who got bumped by the officer on the motorcycle?

Also, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle.

And tertiary, if the officer was uninjured, how'd they get Assault II? That requires "serious physical injury"? Get on that Brian Turner. I smell trumped up charges in order to get Mr. Dow to plea to a lesser charge.

If you try and fuck with the state, the state has a much bigger dick than you. They'll just about always fuck you harder.
7
I don't know, I'm all for accountability, but these KIDS (lets call them what they are. "anarchists?" please. like them, I thought I was an anarchist... when I was a freshman in high school.) that are talking about "attempted murder" or "assault with a deadly weapon" are just hopeful about making a mountain out of a mole hill.

Throwing a bike (I don't care how light of a frame you got with your trust fund) at someone on a motorcycle is significantly more dangerous than being bumped by a tire.

When you see flashing lights and hear sirens behind you, ESPECIALLY if you don't have a permit to march, just pull over.
8
Hey protesting kiddies - get a JOB!
And if you have one already - yes, I do want fries
9
Jesus fucking christ. Cop accidentally taps/hits guy's bike, bystanding protester THROWS BIKE AT COP?

Bystander dumbfuck is going down, hard.

Also, people actually making signs that say the COP should be charged with attempted murder? Even after that video? Priceless.

10
It did not look accidental to me, and it seems like if a non-cop decided to run over a bike with a motorcycle there would be charges. Do we really train the cops to run people over as a form of crowd control?

I want to see Westerman testify in front of Congress; if the City can't handle it, and the State won't, I want the biggest dick around. Shit would be like blacks on blondes.
11
don't ya get it? the cops are pissed at this young hero for as has been reported here and elsewhere since the night he was arrested, the cop on the tricycle was noted as having a "puffing out" in the seat of his pants and soon a "tea-like substance" dripping off his leather trousers and his colleagues dancing around him to stay upwind from the stench arising from his having shit his pants/pissed his pants for having the little kids bicycle tossed at him...the "brave" cop was in reality turned into LAUGHINGSTOCK as it's so unmanly to shit your pants while on duty don't ya think! This is why the cops have their panties all twisted in knot over the young man and when it goes to trial, the jury & judge are going to laugh uproariously and giggle uncontrollably to where they might do the same! The kid is a Civic HERO and they can't stand that fact as they erroneously think that's their role!
12
The tap wasn't an accident. Nevertheless, hey cops: please, please learn the art of small group de-escalation. Considering your current repuation, would you expect a quiet, peaceful dispersion if you ram bicycles with your motorcycles?

So they don't have a permit. Just let 'em walk and yell and burn off steam until the PBR calls.

Anarchist fella-there are reprecussions for throwing shit at cops. I'm sorry they've trumped up the charges. You still do not have my sympathy. Next time be less throwy.

Jesus. This is like an online forum flame war between trolls played out in actuality.

Unbearable.
13
I just watched the video a couple of times and I've noticed something I didn’t see if the first viewing. The dude (red sweatshirt) with the bike actually jerks his bike at the cop and hits the motorcycle’s tire. This is what provokes the cop to ram his bike. Even after the cop rams him a bit the dude push back again. Watch the video a couple times and tell me the dude didn’t hit the cops bike tire first. The cop did not just ram the dude with the bike without reason.

I can't believe no one else can see this or hasn’t mentioned it. If you hit a cop’s motorcycle with your bike he's going to get really pissed and you’re fucked. This video is only going to make the anarchist’s case look worse. Yeah, we all feel really bad for you dumbasses who provoked a bunch of defensive cops and got burned for it.

If you throw a bike at a cops back/head you're going to jail and going to get a felony.

14
@graham those trumped up charges aren't to get him to plead, no the plan is probably to drop them without prejudice and then pull him aside later and explain that those charges will come back if he sues the city over the motorcycle cop running him over. It is too bad he didn't keep his cool with it on video he might have been able to get that cop in the trouble he deserved but now the cop will walk feeling vindicated and hurt someone worse in the future.
15
The cop who hit the cyclist is guilty of the same crime crime as the kid who tossed the bike, if not worse, as he was using a motor vehicle as a weapon and hit a pedestrian.
16
Joel is a douche bag of the highest degree. Maybe only surpassed by an actual douche bag
17
Wow.
18
I might be wrong, but it looks to me that the bike thrower was not the same person the cop on the bike hit. If that's the case, then the thrower is screwed. He had no business throwing the bike. Just stupid.
19
I disagree. It looks like the bike thrower is the guy who got hit by the police.

But I don't care.

As a fiscal conservative, it comes down to money. That cop didn't have to hit that kid or anyone else with this motorcycle. There was no benefit in it. These goofy "anarchists" were moving along.

The police officer's action was emotional - and stupid.

And now this officer has instigated an incident that will cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal and jail costs. Not to mention potentially millions if someone sues the city over what may be considered assault.

I want that officer fired. Not because he ran into someone with his motorcycle. But because he's recklessly wasting my tax dollars.

We better not have to fire a teacher just because these kids weren't exiting the scene fast enough for this cop.
20
Ugh. This incident was just some dumb macho squabble between two kids. Only one kid was 26 years old and the other kid was a supposed officer of the law whose "training" and salary are paid for by me and my neighbors.

Fuck everybody involved. Especially that one guy that'll get some paid leave out this. Fuck him, extra.
21
"The tradition of noisy, confrontational street protest did not die out with the establishment of the nation." -Naomi Wolfe

We need to quit having protesters looked at as criminals. I'm not rationalizing the bike being thrown at the cop. However, the principle remains the same. The cops almost always get away with any mistake they make by being rewarded with paid leave. Permits to protest are unconstitutional. The protesters are always treated like cattle and instigated by police crowd control so the police can rationalize enjoying beating up protests. All great social leaders have scoffed at permits to protest due to conviction. These kids jobs or no jobs. Trust funds or not can protest whenever they want on public property. It's our civic duty but most importantly our right. Again that guy that threw the bike was asking for it. But police get away with far worse brutality. Taser deaths, shooting unarmed people, etc.
22
Motorcycles and horses are often used to clear out crowds that have been ordered to disperse. Believe it or not, you do legally have to obey many orders given by law enforcement. They don't just have to sit around and wait for you to run out of witty things to say. And seriously, don't throw bikes (or anything else) at them unless you would like your ass kicked.
23
yes however there is a difference between instigating protesters and harassment. why is everyone so bent on rationalizing complete and absolute impunity to authority figures abusive of their power....????
24
>>why is everyone so bent on rationalizing complete and absolute impunity to authority figures abusive of their power>>

That's an excellent question. Any apologists care to clarify?

I have no idea why some Americans are so willing to drop to their knees before the very public servants who serve us. Our forefathers must be ashamed.

We must remember that We The People are the bosses. Which is not to say that we will allow "anarchist" kids throwing bikes. But neither will we allow police to lose their professionalism and ram retreating protesters with their motorcycles.
25
1) anarchists are assholes

2) if you think you are better than police officers ... then try being one ... seriously, have you heard of "if you can't beat them, then join them"?

3) if you are an anarchist, but don't wanna be a police officer, well then you must be already complaining about this comment and want to riot ... because that is all you are good for ... rioting

4) great, that means my tax dollars go towards paying for your meals in prison when you get arrested for being a rioting anarchist

5) i better get a raise this year to pay for all the anarchists
26
It's too bad that they're getting so serious with this "kid". (Not sure I still considered myself a "kid" at age 26, but whatever.)

But I think this goes to a problem with the mindset of these anarchists that they think they're playing some type of game. That they will be shielded by their righteousness.

You picked up a big hunk of metal and through it at the head of a *cop*. If you don't expect serious consequences for that, then you don't understand reality.
27
public servants are elected. police officers are public employees.
28
I agree with the other posters. The police officer needlessly escalated the situation.

That kid was walking away from the scene with all the rest of the, heh, "anarchists."

But then the cop got pissy. Or lost control. And he rammed forward on his motorcycle.

And now we have to pay for his mistake. Fewer tax dollars for roads and schools and etc because this cop couldn't just let the "anarchists" walk away from their do-nothing scene.

Also, cops are public servants. Serve and protect? And they're public employees. Public employees are public servants. No one makes that distinction. They work for us, and we pay them.

(You may be thinking of the difference between elected officials and hired public employees.)

But in both cases? The outcome is the same. They all work for us. We are their bosses. They have jobs thanks to us and our tax dollars and are managed by our elected representatives.
29
Since all these people keep harping on the "they work for us" bullshit. As their employer, I want the cops to hit as many anarchist idiots as they can with motorcycles.
30
@Graham.

No need to advocate more violence. As my good ol' Sergeant Hulka once said during bootcamp, "Lighten up, Francis."

Plus there's no bullshit around the fact that "they work for us." It's just fact. Basic civics. How our society works.

We provide taxes which pay for officials we elect to manage public employees also paid for by our taxes.

The public's largesse allows Portland police a higher salary than the average Portlander - which they can then use to enjoy their livelihood and buy big homes in the 'Couv and fishing boats or whatever.

And in return we simply ask for a safer society with less unnecessary violence, reduced shootings, fewer needless killings, etc...

Hmm.

Perhaps it would be a more beautiful world if everything ran on SE hipster mustaches and angst. But it doesn't.

(p.s. 8th grade social studies? So. Awesome.)
31
@Troy: You seem to have missed the point. Which "us" should the police and other public employees be listening to? I want them to do one thing, you want them to do another. How would any decisions ever get made? Who's will should they be listening to? My problem is not with holding the police accountable or anything like that. It has to do with morons making weak-ass arguments. At least bring your 'C' game if you want to play.

I say meter maids work for us. Therefore we shouldn't get tickets.
I say Obama works for us. Therefore Obama should give us all backrubs.
I say Magical Fairies work for us. Therefore Magical Fairies should grant all of our wishes.
32
Ah ha. :) Since this thread is probably at the verge of last call, let's close it out.

As far as who our public servants should be listening to... It's all of us. That's how it works.

We as a majority vote for our lawmakers who write the laws per our mandate as well for managers who oversee our employees - all of which must fall under the overarching Constitution.

And when our employees are clearly breaking the law, abusing their power, not following directives, wasting tax dollars, etc... then our elected officials bring 'em back in line.

And if our elected officials do not bring 'em back in line? Then we as the overall bosses call our elected officials and tell 'em to fix it. Or else we'll vote 'em out in the next election and bring in someone else who will.

For example, I couldn't care less about the Sam Adams Recall. But some people do. And if they can convince a majority (fat chance), they'll make this change.

For me, I know I'll be looking in the next election for a candidate with a credible platform that includes returning order and effective oversight to our Portland Police - even if it includes inviting a Federal investigation.

This is how the whole representational/tax dollars civics thing works. See above.

So in answer to your question, it's civics 101 why we can demand cops not assault us (their bosses) but why we cannot demand they don't give us legitimate tickets. We're all subject to the law and the processes and checks and balances...equally.

It's why an Army General can still get a speeding ticket from a Spec-4 MP on a military base.

So if you truly want cops to start cracking kids' heads? (really? nah...)

Then you'd have to join up with the other brownshirt teabaggers on the street corner and work to vote in new lawmakers who'll write/pass this kind of law. (and somehow make it fit under the Constitution...)

In closing, I honestly was kidding about 8th grade social studies. And I appreciate your time and comments.

And the ruckus about magical parking fairies giving Obama backrubs with happy healthcare finishes?

Yes! Sign me up, too.
33
@Troy: Thank you for a well written response. I agree with just about all of that.
34
Speaking of civics, that is the way it is SUPPOSED to work. Unfortunately, entrenched political players with deep indebtedness turn our democratic processes into a farce. We get a choice of two or three cards, but each eventually leads to a losing hand. There is however one final bastion of law and order left in our states and land overall; supreme courts and the special prosecutors needed to break the "blue shield of silence" and other government service cabals out of their corrupt practices. I believe many people that work in government at all levels are honest hard working folks, but they are hampered by poor leadership, creeping bureaucracy, and poorly thought out ideologies. I for one am GRATEFUL for the day-to-day services from the Police as investigators after-the-fact, but I draw the line at consistently whitewashing "bad shoots". ‘Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? - Who guards us against the guards?’ –Juvenal-

Please wait...

Comments are closed.

Commenting on this item is available only to members of the site. You can sign in here or create an account here.


Add a comment
Preview

By posting this comment, you are agreeing to our Terms of Use.