Ex-NYPD officer convicted of lying about cyclist clash

A former police officer was convicted yesterday of lying about his Times Square clash with a bike-riding activist, as seen by millions of YouTube viewers, but was cleared of assault and harassment charges.

Patrick Pogan showed no reaction as jurors delivered their verdict, which capped a trial that underscored tensions between the city's police and a group of pro-cycling demonstrators and highlighted the growing prevalence of witness videos in law enforcement.

Pogan was 11 days out of the police academy when he knocked cyclist Christopher Long off his bike during a pro-cycling demonstration in July 2008.

Pogan initially reported that Long steered into him and knocked him down, but a tourist's video posted on YouTube showed the officer making a beeline for Long and shoving him off his bike. The video has garnered more than 2 million views.

The former officer, 24, could face up to four years in prison at his June 23 sentencing, though prison time isn't mandatory. The son of a retired New York Police Department detective, Pogan resigned from the force last year.

A Manhattan state Supreme Court jury deliberated about two full days before reaching the verdict.- AP