Newly Leaked Video Shows More Police Brutality Against Cyclists

Posted by Brian Fairbanks

We were tipped off to this video by a friend of ours who is part of Critical Mass and their case against the NYPD.

According to our source, the most prominent victim in this video is Richard Vasquez, taken down in Times Square, circa March of 2007. City Councilwoman Rosie Mendez is apparently working behind the scenes to get the charges dropped by dropped for these cyclists and that an investigation into police brutality be launched.

Critical Mass is held, generally on Friday nights, in dozens of cities around the world, including Budapest, Chicago, and San Francisco. According to an Information Week report on Tuesday, the infamous and other recent YouTube video of a Critical Mass rider being attacked by police has garnered hundreds of thousands of hits.

You can read that story here.

UPDATE: We're told this took place on March 30, 2007 and that Vasquez filed a claim against the officer who pushed him, which was upheld by the Civilian Complaint Review Board. More details to follow...

UPDATE: This photo is of Vasquez is from soon after the incident. Sorry about how brutal it is, but it's better to know the truth. Our source adds: "People ask, 'How could [the first incident] happen, with a rookie cop who's only been on the force for three weeks? You know, this is the culture of the NYPD: it starts with captains, then down to lieutenants, and just becomes ingrained..."

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Posted Jul 30 2008, 02:47 PM

Filed under: bikes, New York City, youtube, arrest, cycling, bicycles, police brutality, critical mass, budapest

Comments

lesterbangs said:

I am all for the investigation into warrantless attacks and unchallenged brutality by the police and law-enforcement. Especially in the case of Critical Masses, police have brutally over-reacted in many cities and unless it is challenged legally, there is no recourse and will be no change. One word of caution though, there is a danger in posting these images in so far as their posting can be used to claim an unfair bias or public perception, a loophole that can get the evidence thrown out. And that wouldn't help anybody here, but the wrong side.

July 30, 2008 5:34 PM

fitandfun71 said:

I hope the police of Miami-Dade are investigated as well. It isn't pretty down here.

July 30, 2008 6:22 PM

About Brian Fairbanks

Brian Fairbanks, the Senior National Political Correspondent for Nerve, is a filmmaker living in Brooklyn or New Orleans, depending on the season. He is a heavily-armed advocate of gun control.