A Los Angeles Police Department officer who ticketed a bicyclist for riding the wrong way on a Venice Beach bike path is being examined after a YouTube video of him writing up the ticket and arguing with the cyclist went viral.
The officer, identified by his last name, Gracey, and the cyclist, Chris Jackson, argue for 10 minutes as Gracey repeatedly changes his reasoning for giving the ticket -- from Jackson riding his bike in the wrong direction to Jackson annoying him.
Detective Gus Villanueva of the LAPD's Media Relations on Friday said that Jackson’s ‘ticket had been canceled in the interest of justice.’
The department is now conducting a personnel investigation into Gracey’s conduct, Villanueva told NBC News.
Villanueva would not comment further.
Jackson, 34, who turned on his helmet camera to record the interaction on the Venice Beach bike path, argues that he needed to pass Gracey's motorcycle and says that the officer’s vehicle was blocking traffic.
Gracey maintains that he is doing his job and asks Jackson to spare him his ‘commentation.’
The argument between the two draws several observers who protest that Jackson had done nothing wrong and that the officer should address serious crime in Venice.
‘It’s taking so long,’ one onlooker comments at around 9 minutes and 40 seconds.
The officer finally hands Jackson his ticket under California Vehicle Code 22350, the Basic Speed Law.
‘Listen to me, sir. The reason why I'm going to write you for unsafe speed is because you are arguing with me,’ Gracey says.
‘This is a catch-all, 22350. Because you're riding on the wrong side of the back path, you're looking at me, and you're complaining because my emergency vehicle is on the bike path. And that's unsafe speed. Looking in the wrong direction, traveling in the wrong way, that's unsafe.’
The YouTube video was publicized by the community blog Yo! Venice! on Thursday and reposted by another blog Biking in LA on Friday.
Jackson was to be due in court on Friday, according to the video.
The LAPD's Villanueva said earlier that day that he was not yet familiar with the video and had no comment at that time.
He later followed up with NBC News about the investigation into Gracey.
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