By Shayna Jacobs
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — A Critical Mass cyclist who was thrown to the ground by a rookie NYPD officer in Times Square is an ardent marijuana smoker and a reckless driver who once killed someone while speeding in a car, defense attorneys said of the plaintiff on Tuesday.
Christopher Long, 31, was shoved off his bicycle by former NYPD officer Patrick Pogan, now 24, after gliding through a red light on Seventh Avenue with dozens of other riders, video evidence from July 2008 shows.
Long is now testifying in Pogan's criminal trial, where the officer is facing charges for allegedly lying on arrest documents, harassing and assaulting Long.
Video by a tourist shows Pogan shoving Long to the ground and is being played as evidence.
Long, who laughed at questions during cross-examination and responded sarcastically several times, is now an unemployed daily marijuana smoker, by his own account. Long seemed intent on provocation, even saying on the stand that he likes "to smoke when I defecate first thing in the morning."
He also fielded questions about his many automobile traffic violations and admitted he killed a man while driving over 90 miles per hour in North Carolina.
"That was gnarly, man," Long said, shaking his head.
Only two weeks after that incident, he was pulled over for driving more than 30 miles per hour above the speeding limit.
On the stand, Long explained he didn't think Pogan intended to injure him and said he believed the officer, whom he called a "pawn in the game" after he was knocked over, had been acting on orders from above.
"As an armed organization, I'm against [the police department]," he said. "But not as individuals. I'm not anti-individuals."
Prosecutors have said Pogan's worst offense was lying on paperwork and official documents about what had taken place.
Pogan's defense attorney said the young officer, who had been in uniform for only 11 days, was following orders to arrest rowdy riders and that Long failed to pull over when Pogan, patrolling on foot, ordered him to stop.
After Long was pushed to the ground, he yelled, "Assault me, assault me! I'll have your badges!" as two officers tried to restrain him, according to testimony.
