Multiple Undercover NYPD Officers in Motorcycle Gang Road Rage Incident

Unclear whether they stepped forward as witnesses

Multiple New York City police officers took part in a motorcycle ride in New York this week that led to a violent road-rage incident that saw a gang of motorcyclists attack a motorist with his wife and child in the car, CBS News' John Miller reports.

According to New York Police Department sources, whether either of the two new officers to step forward witnessed Sunday's incidents remains unclear, Miller reported Saturday afternoon. All three officers who have said that they took part in the motorcycle ride were off-duty.

Comments

[RightNut]

WTF, where's my hat-tip???!!

I'm blaming you Tuccille!

[JeremyR]

So much for the cliche that police officers are never off duty.

Man being beaten by a mob? Oh, go right ahead, I'm off duty.

And if they had stopped it when it started, that guy never would have been run over and possibly paralyzed.

But they, they were off duty, so it's not their problem.

[SIV]

I heard as many as 5 NYPD plus some unknown number of correctional officers. Explains why the DA didn't want to press any charges.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

At that point, a series of 911 calls had already been made to police. The first was at 1:52 p.m., when Lien's wife told police that there was a large group of motorcycles driving recklessly.

In a second call at 1:53, she reported that their car was being hit by the bikers. She said she was in the car with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.

At 1:55, Lien himself called and gave police his current location. This is near where the door was pulled open.

At 2 p.m., the wife told 911 the windows were being smashed and her husband was being assaulted.

If it were my vehicle, with my hypothetical wife and baby in the car, the call at 2pm would have been for an ambulance for several bikers with 9mm brain hemorrhages.

Yep, a phone to call 911 is all the self-defense you need in New York City. Thx for saving NYC, Bloomberg!

[SOFL Hockey Fan]

I am pretty sure that the reason he did not want to blow his cover goes back to the War on Drugs. Motorcycle gangs are sometimes involved in drug dealing and of course to a cop it is more important to bust a drug sale than it is to protect an innocent family.

[RBS]

Gotta break a few eggs you know?

[JD the elder]

I am pretty sure the reason is that they weren't under cover at all. The NYPD has gotten more and more thuggish as standards have dropped; it surprises me not at all that cops are taking part in mass law-breaking rallies.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

Yeah, that's my supposition too. That motorcycle "group" must be pretty horrid if refraining from beating the shit out of a guy in front of his wife and baby would blow your cover.

[Tulpa (LAOL-VA)]

right now the story is that they weren't investigating the motorcycle group itself...there just happened to be three undercover cops in the group.

[Dan]

The media is just mis-characterizing off duty cops in civilian clothes as "undercover".

[Dan]

He wasn't undercover. He was just an off duty cop. He had no cover to blow. They weren't investigating this group, he was just out riding with his buddies. Which is why he should be facing charges along with the rest of them.

[John Galt]

At least this one quit calling them "bikers." Nonetheless, now it was a "gang." Apparently, the videos of what really happened have gotten around. Still, some are unwilling to get over their blind prejudice towards two wheeled travelers.

The impatient bellend on four wheels decided to take matters in his own hands. Why not, he and his had 4,000 pounds of shielded metal armoring themselves. He gunned it and drove right over top of a human lacking any protection past the clothes he wore. And then he thought he was going to just drive off.

A little roughing up, while the wrong thing to do from a legal perspective, should be easier to justify than the gruesome hit and run that started it all.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Most group rides are people peacefully sharing the road, but there are others that get off on an aggressive pack mentality out there.

It appears here they were attacking the guy and his family before the "hit and run". It's unfortunate that the guy got hit but when you engage in a mob attack you're risking more than just the victims' life. People tend to fight back, especially when the wife and child are also at risk.

[Hollywood]

From what I understand, the motorcyclists wanted to have a stretch of road to themselves, and if someone drove onto that stretch, they box them in and stop them until the group moves on. The video starts after some events have already occurred, clearly. However, it seems pretty clear that 30 or more bikers were trying to box this guy and bring him to a stop. One motorcyclist was too aggressive in his break check and the car hit him. They then came to a stop and and some motorcyclists can be seen approaching the car. I think the driver panicked and in fear for his life, tried to defend himself the only way he could. It's regrettable but understandable, and IMHO ultimately justified.

[Hollywood]

Also, the real story is presence of many LEOs that did nothing to diffuse the situation and may have actively participated in the beating the ensued. To protect and serve!

[GroundTruth]

"Government is not the solution, government is the problem" ... government = cops.