LAPD attacks CM cyclists

Posted on May 28, 2010 by .
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Several people are tweeting about police running police cruisers and tackling cyclists who are riding lawfully on the right side of the road during the Critical Mass Ride tonight in Los Angeles.

Like several other Critical Mass rides around the nation tonight, the theme of tonight’s ride in Los Angeles was a protest against BP, specifically at a BP / Arco station at Robertson & Olympic in Los Angeles. The LAPD apparently knew of the protest ride and planned to disrupt this Critical Mass as the cycling protesters arrived at the gas station. About 1,000 people participated in the CM tonight in Los Angeles.

From tweets by @GraphikDeziner, @ohaijoe, @DancerALaMode, @ryangabrinetti:

Almost got arrested when LAPD decided 2 start tackling lawful cyclists & throwing them down on the ground.

Lawful cyclists being torn off their bikes!!!

Someone just Screamed cops are tackling people, saw bike cops Chasing down cyclists. Not sure what’s happening

And when I say torn…I mean shirts grabbed & thrown onto the hard cement! For DOING NOTHING!!!!!!

Literally LAPD drove patrol cars into a crowd of cyclists!

Just spent the last 15 minutes trying to avoid police chasing cyclists for riding on the right side of the street and obeying traffic laws!

There’s an image burned into my brain of cops shoving a cyclist 2 the ground, him laying sprawled on pavement, and frame bouncing on street.

So LAPD chopper and about 40 LAPD have nothing better to do than harrass cyclists for almost 20 minutes? Bc there’s no crime in this city.

Just got arrested by the LAPD on @LosAngelesCM for not having a light and two other unrelated citations.

I was told to get off my bike and to “shut up and get on the ground” cuffed me for a 1/2 hour in the middle of Hollywood blvd … they gave me a citation for no taillight, running red lights and failure to follow traffic regulations.

Cuffed for running red lights. I’d hate to see what the LAPD does if they actually witness a motorist do something dangerously illegal like that, but we all know motorists are all law abiding citizens who never cause trouble, congestion or even traffic on the free flowing streets of Los Angeles.



See also:

  1. LAPD to participate in Critical Mass
  2. Tallbikes and the law
  3. NYPD and cyclists
  4. Dr. Christopher Thompson: "Those cyclists had it coming!"


  • http://urbanvelo.org/lapd-vs-critical-mass/ LAPD vs Critical Mass « Urban Velo

    [...] Cyclelicio.us: Like several other Critical Mass rides around the nation tonight, the theme of tonight’s ride in [...]

  • aa

    The other day I stood at the corner of 3rd and Harrison (SF) waiting to buy a frame off someone on CL, and in the ten minutes I was standing there, ten cars ran the red at the intersection. Once a minute.

    The city could make some quick cash if the cops decided to actually enforce our laws.

  • http://twitter.com/Cyclophile Cyclophile

    Given the history of Critical mass.. I really doubt the veracity of this. I am a Cyclist myself and I am all for more bikes on the road but I have found critical mass to be completely shameful. Particularly in SF where “cyclists” have been known to assault motorists, set up “accidents” and generally be complete twits. LAPD prolly does not desire the riot scene that occurs monthly in SF at the hands of these anarchists.

  • bikesgonewild

    …i dunno what goes on in the city of lost angels but i think “an element” within the cycling population of san francisco turned critical mass into a farce long ago…

    …c-mas came about w/ a great purpose & w/ good intentions that where usurped in this town years ago by self centered, self righteous fools who serve only their own short sited needs…sad, really, to have taken something so ideally noble & to have turned it into a confrontation that alienates so many…& yes, i'm aware that many drivers would never see it as anything but contentious but there are plenty who were willing to be empathetic but have now been swayed by the behavior of the few…

    …i do however agree w/ you “aa”…i spend a fair amount of time in sf & i never proceed through an intersection, whether on a bike or in a car, without at least glancing in both directions, right of way or not…too dangerous not to…

  • Anodyne

    Agreed with Cyclophile. Sorry, if you don't have the common sense to put a (cheap!) light on the back of your bike and stop at all red lights you probably deserve a ticket now don't you? I bike 30 miles to and from work every day and can't tell you how many times I've almost been hit by some hotshot shooting through a red light or a stop sign.

  • NOT A C-mass'er

    LAPD statement at
    https://local.nixle.com/alert/2352733/

    “Los Angeles Police Department Investigates Complaint of Use of Force Against Bicyclist”

    Los Angeles: Hollywood Area LAPD bike officers are involved in an incident that results in a complaint filed by representatives of the LA biking community.

    On May 28, 2010 around 9:30 pm, LAPD Hollywood Area bike unit officers were patrolling the Entertainment District in Hollywood, at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Highland Avenue, when a group of bicyclists numbering approximately 400 traveled eastbound on Hollywood Boulevard.

    As part of enforcement efforts, LAPD Officers were watching for red light violations, and issuing citations. As Officers attempted to detain several bicyclists, a reported use of force was captured on video.

    “In response to what we learned, we immediately launched a full-scale investigation to determine the facts surrounding the events,” said LAPD Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger. “The Departments Professional Standards Bureau has taken the lead in the inquiry and the Police Commission’s Inspector General has also been made fully aware of the matter.”

    Since November 2009, the LAPD Office of Operations has worked closely with representatives of the biking community to improve relations, make the streets safer for bicyclists and discuss and identify issues involving bicyclists that are problematic for the motoring public.

    “Our Department takes seriously its obligations and commitment to all members of the community. The Chief of Police and I pledged our strong support to work closely with the bike community and that promise has not wavered. It's our hope that the relationship we've developed with the biking community over the past months will be strengthened even more as we continue to work together to find solutions to difficult circumstances such as these.”

    LAPD Internal Affairs Group is investigating this reported use of force incident.

  • http://changeyourliferideabike.blogspot.com Adrienne

    So not having a light, no matter what the type of ride is (CM, party, sightseeing group…) makes it OK for a police officer to put his hands on you and throw you off your bike? You realize that the equivalent would be a police officer pulling you out of your car and cuffing you while you are face down in the street for having a taillight and rolling a red light to turn right?

    NO ONE has the right to put their hands on you if you are not actively a threat to someone.

  • http://www.thekpv.com electric solar bike

    thats sick

  • bikesgonewild

    …adrienne…i don't think anybody is saying that there is ever a justification for that kind of behavior by law enforcement…& it does happen, witness that situation in nyc where the cop who was videotaped taking out an individual rider in a c-mass ride was suspended & then recently fired for his antics…

    …but i'd suggest a good number of us are seriously put off by the rogue element that accompanies c-mass…whether they be riders or police…

  • http://bikinginla.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/lapd-critical-mass-takedown/ LAPD Critical Mass takedown « BikingInLA

    [...] Cyclelicious: LAPD attacks CM cyclists [...]

  • Not Ray Bradbury

    “Look Mommy, the police!”
    “There's going to be a crime!”

  • Ron Branson

    Being a principled man, knowing the Constitution and the laws in pursuance thereof, and having brought fourteen cases forward to the U.S. Supreme Court, it should be noted that there are only two classes of crimes, to wit, “High Crimes” and “misdemeanors.” Constitutionally, in this country there can be no such thing as “Infractions.” The term infraction was invented out of the imagination of the California Legislature in 1969 as a means of cutting costs measures to make more money out of the People. It was a planned design to avert the requirements of Article III, Sec.2, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution in avoiding mandatory criminal process. For instance, no Probable Cause pursuant to the 4th Amendment, no sworn Accusatory Pleading, no right to Assistance of Counsel pursuant to the 5th Amendment, no trial by Jury, and no victim necessary. It is purely an endeavor to squease more “revenue” out of the public for the gradual build-up and assertion of a police state. There is not one thing lawful or constitutional about this new invention of “infrations.” The only constitutional provision for doing away with jury trials is clearly “empeachments,” nothing more.
    In a lawsuit against LAPD, the City Attorney objected to my questioning the police regarding these issues, agruing, “Objection, these police officers are not attorneys, and do not know the law.” I responded, “If these police officers do not know the law, then what are they doing out there enforcing the law.” The fact is, the entire system is operating in violation of very serious laws!

    Ron Branson
    BeholdTheMan@Live.com

  • http://twitter.com/bikehugger byron@bikehugger

    Do you have any other source on this? Did it make the news?

  • Jennifer

    “You realize that the equivalent would be a police officer pulling you out of your car and cuffing you while you are face down in the street for having a taillight and rolling a red light to turn right?”

    I don't think that's very unusual in Chicago, actually.

  • Guy From MA

    It's not “lost angels” is “the angels”. spanish ;)