Latest bike rage episode features cop biking to work (Jack Bog's Blog)

Here's the police's version of it:

Portland Officer almost struck while riding bike to work - 03/23/11
Early Tuesday morning March 22, 2011, a Portland Police Sergeant was riding his bike to work eastbound on Northwest Cornell Road when a motorist drove along side of his bike within inches of hitting him while riding. The driver, later identified as 68-year-old Larry Fornshell, passed Sergeant Santos and continued on. When both came into town to a traffic control device, Sergeant Santos rode to the right of Mr. Fornshell's car. Fornshell turned right, into Santos. Just prior to the intersection of Northwest 25th Avenue and Northwest Lovejoy Street, Mr. Fornshell stopped abruptly. Santos said he had to ride to the left of Fornshell's vehicle into the oncoming traffic lanes to avoid hitting Fornshell's car and slapped Fornshell's vehicle with his hand. When Santos and Fornshell came to the intersection, Fornshell put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to hit Santos on his bike. Santos jumped off of his bike and ran with his bike to the sidewalk. Fornshell then hit Santos' bike as he was holding onto it. Santos jumped out of the way to avoid being struck and Fornshell left the scene of the crash. Santos remembered the license plate number from the vehicle and called 911.

Last evening, March 22, 2011, Fornshell was located and arrested for the Hit and Run and Attempt Assault. He was booked into the downtown Multnomah County Facility on an Attempt Assault in the Second Degree. Detectives are looking to identify witnesses from the crash at Northwest 25th Avenue and Northwest Lovejoy Street. Any witnesses to this incident or anyone with additional information is asked to call Detective Kevin Warren at 503 823-3761.

Apparently the police sergeant's first name, omitted from the police report, is Joseph.

Comments (15)

really we should just ban bikes altogether...they are dangerous toys....like lawn darts....only worse

Posted by John Peterson | March 23, 2011 4:56 PM

Really we should just ban cars altogether...they are dangerous toys...like lawn darts….only worse

Posted by Allan L. | March 23, 2011 5:35 PM

And they're elitists,and bums

Posted by John Peterson | March 23, 2011 5:44 PM

Last summer in Bend, a lovely woman was mowed down by Fornshell's twin-brother-from-a-different-mother. Take his license and vehicle away. Lock him up. There is no place on the road for this amount of aggression.

Posted by Molly | March 23, 2011 5:45 PM

As an elitist and a bum, I claim the right not to be assaulted by a person operating a car.

Posted by Allan L. | March 23, 2011 6:06 PM

Cornell Road is stupid place to ride a bike. It's barely safe for cars.

Posted by Mister Tee | March 23, 2011 6:15 PM

Well we are all waiting Jack come on. He is a Portland cop. Let's hear it.

Posted by Just Saying | March 23, 2011 6:20 PM

Good think he was white, otherwise he would have been shot in the back until dead.

Posted by dman | March 23, 2011 7:26 PM

Speaking of aggression, the cool biker move of whacking people's cars with your hand isn't too smart. It only makes a bad situation worse. You're vulnerable; they have a multi-ton bullet that can kill you. Deal with it.

And of all people, a police officer should know better.

That said, if the police account is true,* the clown behind the wheel should go down for assault with a deadly weapon.

* - Remember, this is Portland.

Posted by Jack Bog | March 23, 2011 8:18 PM

That may be true of parts of Cornell (there are ways around them) but as it happens not at all of the part where this alleged assault happened.

Posted by Allan L. | March 23, 2011 8:33 PM

If convicted his driving privileges should be revoked for life and the "deadly weapon" should be seized.

Posted by pmalach | March 23, 2011 8:40 PM

Bikes are elitists? I'm sorry John, that my bike exacerbates your inferiority complex. I'll be sure to give it a good scolding this morning before I ride it to work. "Bad bike! Bad! John Peterson is a man, with feelings! Have you no soul?" Hope that makes you feel a little better, big guy.

Posted by Sigma | March 24, 2011 7:45 AM

Maybe I'm missing something but it looks pretty clear to me that Fornshell had it in for Santos. One or twice could be an accident, three times -- backing up to engage with him -- is intentional. It's road rage, pure and simple. Road rage doesn't necessarily have to involve two cars.

Posted by NW Portlander | March 24, 2011 2:55 PM

I'd bet it went down like this: car comes close to biker, scaring him. Down the road, biker catches up where car traffic backs up at 25th& Lovejoy. Biker slaps car, setting off the angered response. It would be interesting to know if the first close pass was intentional menacing. (In 15 years of recreational cycling, this has happened to me twice. When it's intentional, you know it because the driver wants you to know.) it is hard to maintain an even temper when your life is threatened intentionally. On the other hand, that is part of what police officers are trained and paid to do, and something Portland police seem to have a hard time with.

Posted by Allan L. | March 24, 2011 4:13 PM

Allan, are you conflicted?

How would you know whether the "first close pass" (already taking the biker's word for it) was intentional? Since you've apparently accepted this part of the tale, why doubt another part?

Ohhhh, it's a cop!

I understand, now.

PS: I know Fornshell, and he would NOT have done this. the fact that the bicyclist is a bicyclist should have no bearing on the veracity of his statements - less so if he's a cop.

Sounds like a "Westerman moment" to me.

Posted by cc | March 25, 2011 5:45 PM

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Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Latest bike rage episode features cop biking to work

Comments (15)

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