One of New York’s finest has been indicted on charges connected with knocking a man off his bicycle in July during a monthly cycling event in New York City, an action that was caught on videotape.  The police officer, Patrick Pogan, may face felony charges of filing false records and possibly misdemeanor assault.

The incident occurred on July 25 during a monthly event known as Critical Mass, in which hundreds of cyclists ride their bikes through cities across the United States and Canada to advocate nonpolluting forms of transportation. It has a somewhat contentious history with the police since its inception in 1992, outlined in great detail on an unofficial Critical Mass information web page.

Supporters of the ride complain that bicyclists are frequently arrested for minor infractions like not having lights, or running red lights, and that police are often unnecessarily rough when doing so.

In his police report, Officer Pogan  claimed that 29-year-old Christopher Long was obstructing vehicular traffic. After instructing him to stop, Long rammed him with his bicycle, causing the officer to fall to the ground and receive cuts on his forearms. Long then resisted arrest, Officer Pogan wrote.

The videotape, which was put on YouTube, tells a very different story. In the video, we see Officer Pogan and another officer standing in the street as bicyclists stream by them on either side. Officer Pogan begins to move toward the sidewalk. Then the officer lowers his shoulder and shoves the next rider who come along, Christopher Long, off his bike.

Long appeared to be trying to steer out of the way.

Officer Pogan’s lawyer, Stuart London, says his client denies any wrongdoing in this matter and suggested that Long did something not visible in the videotape that led to Officer’s Pogan’s actions. Perhaps it was an ill-timed bacon joke?