SMCM Police Sting

[Alex Thompson]

Does anyone know who got ticketed/stopped by the sting by the SMPD at SMCM?

Terrible development for the community.

Alex

[buttrumpus]

i can't provide any answers as i wasn't on the ride, though i was walking down main st. while the mass was going by and saw a police car turn on it's lights and head down the road towards the where the majority of the riders were. i didn't want to think that the police would be getting aggresive towards the ride, but apparently i'm wrong. i hope this kind of thing doesn't continue, i don't want this to turn into new york.

oh, and what exactly happened?

[Artemisia]

Alex,

I really appreciated the calm, informed, and assertive manner in which you spoke with the police officers last night.  It was their intent to issue all of us a citation and rather that having a bunch of riders walking away with legal challenges, you facilitated an open dialog with the police and I believe opened the door for further communication and cooperation.  It was instructive for me to see how you interacted with the police, especially knowing how passionately you can defend your rights as a bicyclist.  You did not back down or submit to their assertions, rather you communicated effectively enough to  get through to them, exchange ideas and deescalate the situation.  I for one was glad to walk away citation-free.  Thank you.

~artemisia

[Alex Thompson]

I really appreciated the calm, informed, and assertive manner in which you spoke with the police officers last night. 

I guess . . . I appreciate the compliment but I'm not sure it is deserved.  When I got involved I was mad as hell, aggressive, and my voice was shaking and I had trouble thinking straight because I was so angry.  I really thought everyone else who pitched in did the most to calm down the situation - Alex C, you, Brian, Tank, my Dad, and some others who I forgot in the haze of being pissed.  Also, the young man with the video camera (whose name I routinely forget - sorry) definitely made them think twice about citing people.  Honestly the whole situation left me pretty convinced that when cops get involved I should NOT be the one to talk to the police initially.

All in all I think what made him hesitate most was that we all consistently undermined his confidence in his understanding of the law, and he realized that if he cited people he would definitely have to go to court.

[Alex C]

larry from bike attack was cited for running a stop sign at Ocean Park and Ocean Bvld, right before the Mass made a left towards main street. He later joined us at about Rose and Main.