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Internal Affairs Cop Involved In Violent Motorcyclist Ride Identified
By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 10, 2013
Modified Oct 10, 2013
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Oct 10, 2013
Modified Oct 10, 2013
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An NYPD officer who works in the Internal Affairs Bureau has now come forward and admitted he was riding with the mob of illegal motorcyclists that chased and beat a terrified SUV driver last month. According to DNAInfo, 28-year-old Matthew Rodriguez is a five-year veteran assigned to the IAB's command center; he didn't admit to being part of the ride until a few days ago.
It's unclear how involved he was in the violence against SUV driver Alexian Lien on September 29th, but Rodriguez has been removed from the IAB division pending the investigation. Even if he wasn't as involved in the beating as Detective Wojciech Braszczok allegedly was, he could still face disciplinary charges for failing to come forward sooner, or potentially a criminal charge for failing to intervene in the attack.
DNAInfo adds that on his Twitter feed, Rodriguez wrote about "his love of the NYPD and his alcohol with a background image of a man and woman copulating on the back of a motorcycle under the headline 'No Free Rides! Gas or A--!'"
Rodriguez is the third police officer to be identified as being part of the attack. In addition to him and Braszczok, who has been charged with riot and criminal mischief, off-duty NYPD detective Samir Gonsalves, 34, was also part of the ride. Gonsalves has maintained that he did not witness the beating of Lien; it's unclear whether he will face charges as well in the incident.
Tagged
Alexian Lien
internal affairs
motorcycle rally road rage
motorcyclists
nypd
police
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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