A Los Angeles cop is now under investigation after he gave a cyclist a ticket “for arguing with me.”
According to NBC News , the officer’s conduct is under investigation after a video of him ticketing a bicyclist who told him he was blocking the bike path went viral.
In the 10-minute video clip (shown below), a cyclist turns on his helmet camera and records his interaction with the police officer on the Venice Beach bike path.
The interaction between the two caught the attention of a handful of onlookers who protested that the cyclist had done nothing wrong and that the officer needed to focus his attention on actual crime in Venice.
According to KSEE24 , the cyclist, who identified himself as 34-year-old Chris Jackson, posted the controversial video after Thanksgiving weekend.
In the video, Jackson states that he had passed the officer’s motorcycle and told the officer that the vehicle was blocking traffic. The officer, identified only by his surname, Gracey, then pulled Jackson over shortly after.
After arguing back-and-forth for several minutes about how he didn’t break any laws by crossing the path’s dotted yellow line, Jackson points out other cyclists riding on the wrong side. He even points out people who are illegally walking on the bike path.
The officer, not paying attention to anything Jackson has said, settled on issuing Jackson a ticket under California Vehicle Code 22350, the Basic Speed Law.
Detective Gus Villanueva of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section said that the department is conducting a personnel investigation into the officer’s conduct.
The department has yet to comment any further on the situation.
Here is the video of the cop giving Jackson the ticket:
