Nothing good can come from this. Bad for bikers, bad for cops. The rider deserves what he gets but the cop let his emotions get the better of him.

http://youtu.be/7Uuo_CiiPk8

Did the biker really not see he passed a Cop just barely making it before a double yellow AND then
go just a little farther and then pass on a double yellow with a Cop right behind him AND if he had waited
a few more seconds he could have passed legally?

I guess you can't fix stupid.

It also appeared that he never tried to really out run the Cop.
Did he forget that he was back there?  Only a tiny handlebar rearview mirror probably didn't help anything.

As I understood it from an article the "cop" car was a black camaro with dark tinted windows, no markings or external lights. The point of the car is to not look like a cop. So once he passed the non-descript cop car, he probably ignored it after that.

The article said the officer did not employ a siren during the "chase".

As I understood it from an article the "cop" car was a black camaro with dark tinted windows, no markings or external lights. The point of the car is to not look like a cop. So once he passed the non-descript cop car, he probably ignored it after that.

The article said the officer did not employ a siren during the "chase".

I read that too. But did the officer have lights in the grill? The pickup early in the chase moved over for him. Not conclusive but evidence that the pickup knew he was a cop. In any case the biker was a dick. That said, it was clear he (the biker) was surrendering when the cop kicked him in the chest.

Just earned himself a $180,000 judgement.

LEO should have turned on siren as soon as he realized the rider wasn't responding to lights.
LEO should not have rear-ended the bike at the intersection.  By this time anger took over from being "ignored".
LEO should not have kicked him.  Anger escalated.  Not the level headed mindset that LEO's need.

Rider could have avoided all of the above with effective rear-view mirrors.  Just plain dumb on the rider's part.

Oh, and that spirited ride wasn't even close to "hooliganism".  Check Youtube.  Just my humble opinions.

A jury awarded a Eugene man after he was kicked by an Oregon State Police captain during a 2012 traffic stop.

The Register-Guard reported that Capt. Rob Edwards testified in U.S. District Court in Eugene as part of a civil trial that his force was in line with state police policies.

Edwards was accused of using excessive force against Justin Wilkens, whose collarbone was broken when Edwards took him into custody Aug. 3, 2012, after chasing down the speeding rider.

The jury claimed Edwards violated Wilkens' civil rights.

Wilkens says he did not recognize Edwards' unmarked car as a police vehicle.

Wilkens sued Edwards for alleged civil rights violations and sought unspecified noneconomic damages in addition to more than in reimbursement for medical and motorcycle towing and repair bills.

You and I usually seem to agree on a lot of topics but not this time: Yep, the biker was riding too fast and crossing the double- yellow lines to pass. An LEO stopped him for these actions. The biker did in fact stop, and was in a totally non- threatening manner when the LEO struck the bike with his car. The LEO was clearly enraged, and proceeded to physically assault the biker who again was behaving in a perfectly calm, apparently cooperative and absolutely non- threatening manner.

Did the biker do anything wrong? Sure. And he was stopped for it and we have clearly defined remedies for such behavior (fines, perhaps public service, loss of license, etc.). I also have absolutely no problem with the LEO getting out of his car with his pistol in hand and aimed at the suspect- it was not yet clear if the biker was going to 'behave' or not after he got up and the LEO needed to both control the situation and possibly defend himself. But we simply do not give LEO's (or anyone else that I know of) the freedom to physically assault people who are being accused of a crime (and a very minor one in this case) and yet behaving in an acceptable manner.

I am old enough to have mostly white hair, and still occasionally I misbehave on my motorcycle and have done everything I saw that biker do in that video. Should I be caught doing such things, I would expect to be stopped, possibly be handcuffed and detained, have my motorcycle towed and be charged with a short list of moving violations (and anything else found such as no registration, bike not carrying an inspection sticker, etc.). But I would not expect nor would I accept being struck by the LEO's vehicle while I was stopped or stopping, and I would not expect or accept a physical assault. In fact, I think that guy acted better in the series of events shown in that video than I would.

We hire LEO's to enforce the law, protect the peace and generally try to keep our society orderly. They are not hired to be thugs or overreact, and if they cannot behave w/in those boundaries, they should be removed IMO. LEO's carry batons, often tasers, and firearms to escalate to the level of violence necessary to control or stop an unacceptable situation and I have no problem with them using those tools..... but that guy simply did not 'earn', 'deserve' and especially should not have been physically abused because an LEO could not keep his temper in check. I am also disappointed that the LEO apparently was not given any corrective action for his actions; if his superiors and / or the dept. he works for in general thinks his behavior was acceptable, then we have an even bigger problem than a single, cranky LEO.

Brian

Nothing good can come from this. Bad for bikers, bad for cops. The rider deserves what he gets but the cop let his emotions get the better of him.

http://youtu.be/7Uuo_CiiPk8

Brian, it was perhaps a poor choice of words on my part but I think we agree more than disagree on this one. Perhaps I should have stated it as "I have limited sympathy toward a the biker". And at the time I posted this I was under the impression he was willfully running from the cop. All that said I think the cop let his emotions get the best of him when his profession requires a cool head. Especially since the biker was not armed and not showing a threat of any kind. I know it's a VERY difficult job but if he cannot keep his anger in check, he should consider another profession or perhaps a desk job within the force.

1. The LEO should loose his job and be barred from any job requiring the use of a firearm while interacting with the public.

2. If that is "acceptable use of force" for that police agency, that agency needs to be completely overhauled. From the top down!

3. If I were the motorcyclist, $180k would not even come CLOSE to what I would seek or accept in damages.

Yes, the motorcyclist broke a few laws. Yes, he should nicked financially for those infractions. Yes, he probably should have checked his mirrors more frequently. None of which should have earned him a physical assault from someone sworn to uphold the law.

I've received a BUNCH of tickets over the years. Some cops were cool as hell, a couple were inflamed hemorrhoids on the rectum of society.  I've been held at gunpoint in Albuquerque until back up arrived. (For failure to signal.) Was stopped in Arizona and when I told the officer that I had a pistol he replied "I know, but I think you are far too smart to reach for it." After a long conversation about the perils of speeding, was let go with a warning.

It takes all kinds. Some need to be commended, some need to seek a new career path.

1. The LEO should loose his job and be barred from any job requiring the use of a firearm while interacting with the public.

He got promoted.

I have to agree that the police officer used excessive force. 

The biker was reckless, for sure... extreme speeding, not signaling, not looking around him, dozens of illegal passes, etc.  He was probably was totally ignoring everything behind him.  I am sure the officer was really pissed, and I bet was frustrated with such bikes in the past (some probably losing him too).  But the police need to be held to a higher standard.  He should not have bumped the bike UNLESS his siren was on *AND* it looked like the bike was going to take off again.  The kick was totally unwarranted.

Yep, could be we are just not quite communicating well- your reading or my writing, either one could be a little off. And sometimes the words get in the way of a conversation :-)

I think one of the key things to note here, at least for me, is that that rider did not rob a bank, commit mass murder or any other heinous crime(s). He was breaking traffic laws and even at that, nothing atrocious in my opinion. Not all that big a deal in the scale of all things IMO. So an LEO stops him and writes ticket(s), tows the bike and <perhaps> takes the bike rider into custody.... but only using reasonable force, which looked like none would have been required in that specific case. If an LEO cannot differentiate between a mad dog, mass murderer and someone who modestly violates traffic laws, that LEO either needs to have his scale reset or should be prevented from making those decisions in the future (as someone else suggested, a desk job where he can be enraged by.... plants and so forth). Anyway, I was not there, there is no audio but that is my take on what I saw on that video: an LEO greatly over- reacting to the situation, apparently fueled by nothing but his anger.... at what, having been ignored or simply not seen for three minutes?

Brian

Brian, it was perhaps a poor choice of words on my part but I think we agree more than disagree on this one. Perhaps I should have stated it as "I have limited sympathy toward a the biker". And at the time I posted this I was under the impression he was willfully running from the cop. All that said I think the cop let his emotions get the best of him when his profession requires a cool head. Especially since the biker was not armed and not showing a threat of any kind. I know it's a VERY difficult job but if he cannot keep his anger in check, he should consider another profession or perhaps a desk job within the force.

Gotta love the gangsta style used by the cop in holding his handgun. 
So, anything that happens below the hood line of the cop car does not get captured by the dashcam? The biker could be getting filleted on the ground.

Yep, could be we are just not quite communicating well- your reading or my writing, either one could be a little off. And sometimes the words get in the way of a conversation :-)

I think one of the key things to note here, at least for me, is that that rider did not rob a bank, commit mass murder or any other heinous crime(s). He was breaking traffic laws and even at that, nothing atrocious in my opinion. Not all that big a deal in the scale of all things IMO. So an LEO stops him and writes ticket(s), tows the bike and <perhaps> takes the bike rider into custody.... but only using reasonable force, which looked like none would have been required in that specific case. If an LEO cannot differentiate between a mad dog, mass murderer and someone who modestly violates traffic laws, that LEO either needs to have his scale reset or should be prevented from making those decisions in the future (as someone else suggested, a desk job where he can be enraged by.... plants and so forth). Anyway, I was not there, there is no audio but that is my take on what I saw on that video: an LEO greatly over- reacting to the situation, apparently fueled by nothing but his anger.... at what, having been ignored or simply not seen for three minutes?

Brian

'Jack-booted thug' comes to mind.