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posted by Bob at Monday, June 25, 2007
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Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport / Cyclist says airport police went too far
Man faces trial after arrest in dust-up over rules, roads
BY EMILY GURNON
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 06/24/2007 11:40:15 PM CDT
Stephan Orsak rides to and from some of the world's busiest airports on his bicycle, but the professional violinist has never run into a roadblock like the one he found in the Twin Cities.
While trying to ride his bike out of the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport early one evening in September, he was stopped by airport police. By the time the encounter was over, Orsak, 50, had been stunned with a Taser, arrested and jailed.
The saga of Orsak's arrest, as detailed on his blog at greencycles.blogspot.com, has sparked hundreds of comments, some of them decrying what they call police brutality and others admonishing Orsak to get some common sense.
Orsak said he'd broken no laws and that the officers' actions were unwarranted. He intends to take the case to trial.
"I'm fine with the mistaken stop," said Orsak, of Mahtomedi. "But when it's done in a rude way, in a belligerent way, then that, to me, speaks volumes about some kind of intent."
He was, he believes, "profiled for being a cyclist."
Airport officials said they could not comment on the case, as the charges are pending.
The criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said Orsak refused police instructions to stop riding, used an obscenity and "forcefully" shrugged his shoulder in an attempt to evade an officer's grasp.
Orsak, a slight man with boyish John Denver looks, plays violin for the Minnesota Opera and has performed under Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur and Seiji Ozawa, he said. His Mahtomedi home doubles as a studio, where he gives lessons to young musicians.
He was returning home after a Sept. 7 flight from California when the bike incident occurred.
After the plane landed, Orsak unpacked his green, foldable Brompton bicycle and headed out of the Lindbergh terminal on Glumack Drive, also known as Outbound Roadway. He had planned to pedal to St. Paul to visit his daughter and granddaughter, a trek the committed cyclist has taken before.
But he had barely set off when he was pulled over by two officers who were headed toward the Humphrey Terminal.
The commanding officer told him he was not allowed to ride his bike there. Orsak said he responded politely that there were no signs prohibiting bicycling. The officer said, "I'm telling you, you can't ride here," according to Orsak.
Police evidence assembled by Orsak includes photos of a "No pedestrians" sign, and several months later, he said, other signs were put up prohibiting bicyclists on Glumack Drive. But no such signs existed at the time of the incident, he said.
The officer offered to let Orsak cross over to the parallel Northwest Drive and ride to Post Road from there, even though Northwest Drive was a one-way road going in the opposite direction, Orsak says.
"OK," Orsak recalls saying. But - perhaps pushing his luck with the officer - he asked what he would do the next time he wanted to ride out of the airport.
"This turned on his anger again," Orsak said.
The police changed their instructions: First, that he walk his bike along Northwest Drive; then, that he walk his bike back up to the terminal and catch public transportation, according to Orsak's account. Neither would have been safe, he said.
That's when he "took the initiative" to end the conversation, was knocked off his bike and hit with the Taser stun gun, Orsak said.
He was charged with obstructing legal process with force, a gross misdemeanor, and four misdemeanor counts, including failure to comply with a lawful order, riding a bicycle opposite adjacent traffic and failure to obey an official traffic control signal.
The police account of the dust-up said the officers told Orsak he could not ride on Glumack because there was heavy traffic and it was dangerous. The officers were in a hurry to the other call and hoped Orsak would simply cooperate, the police account stated.
Orsak used an obscenity to describe them, was argumentative and ignored their repeated orders and warnings, the complaint said.
Orsak laughs at the suggestion that he swore at the officers. "That's just not me," he said.
He said he feels saddened about some of the blog entries, the ones that vilify all police in broad strokes.
"It's easy to come to the conclusion that they're all rotten, and I think that would be a great mistake," he said.
On the other hand, "If we start to say in our society that we cannot respectfully disagree with a peace officer, then we're in a very serious place. I truly believe that."
His trial is scheduled to begin July 16.
Emily Gurnon can be reached at egurnon@pioneerpress.com or 612-338-6516.
Read more about bicyclist Stephan Orsak's encounter with airport police on his blog at greencycles.blogspot.com.
Typical Minnestoa politics. Put up the "no Bicycle" signs after the fact. Do anything to prevent the truth from coming out.
Whatever happened to Minnesota Nice.
What is happening to our government?
'Minnesota Nice" has turned into "Minnesota Ice!"
All "Minnesota Nice" ever meant anyways was that people woiuld be nice to your face and trash talk you behind your back.
Thank you, Bob, for your support, and well wishes to all of your readers. The notion of Democracy is something that requires constant renewal, constant vigilance, and constant care, or it will vanish. What good are constitutional rights if we only get them by arguing for them after-the-fact in court? How many poor people juggling children, jobs, health, bills, etc, are going to be able to launch such a legal battle? I believe we must stand for our rights, and by so doing we stand for the rights of all. I invite all to support me at the trial, July 16 1:30 MPLS. Thanks, and may good work continue!
Stephan Orsak
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