Cop Assaults Critical Mass Rider. Charges Filed Against Cyclist.
Words fail when watching this clip of an NYPD officer forcibly knocking a Critical Mass rider to the pavement last Friday. The assault was caught on video by a bystander in Times Square. Compounding the injustice, reports Gothamist, is what happened next:
By
Ben Fried
5:35 PM EDT on July 28, 2008
Words fail when watching this clip of an NYPD officer forcibly knocking a Critical Mass rider to the pavement last Friday. The assault was caught on video by a bystander in Times Square. Compounding the injustice, reports Gothamist, is what happened next:
A representative for TIMES UP! tells us that the cyclist in this video was arrested, held for 26 hours, and charged with attempted assault and resisting arrest.
Mark Taylor, an attorney with the firm representing the cyclist, says he is hopeful the charges will be dropped in light of the video evidence. Asked whether the NYPD plans to go ahead with the charges, a department spokesman said the matter is being investigated. Since the video surfaced, the officer has been put on desk duty.
Ben Fried started as a Streetsblog reporter in 2008 and led the site as editor-in-chief from 2010 to 2018. He lives in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, with his wife.
Read More:
More from Streetsblog New York City
Mamdani Needs a Miracle on 34th Street Amid Mystery Delay
Mayor Mamdani "advanced" the 34th Street busway in June, but work on the redesign has yet to get underway as the end of painting season draws closer.
November 9, 2026
MEMO TO MAMDANI: Make Queens Boulevard the City’s First ‘Cycle Super-Highway’
Queens Boulevard is no longer the "boulevard of death," but it's bike lanes could use some improvement.
November 9, 2026
Monday’s Headlines: There’s a Meeting for That Edition
An urgent crisis means an urgent City Council oversight hearing. Plus the news.
November 9, 2026
Some of NYC’s Worst Super Speeders Are City Marshals (You Know, The Guys With Badges)
They get justice for private citizens — yet they endanger them at the same time.
November 6, 2026
Mamdani Administration Battling Yet Another Suit By Delivery Apps Fighting Worker Protections
Uber, Instacart and Amazon are suing the city over a law that would force them to be more transparent when they remove workers from their platforms.
November 6, 2026
