Video posted to Facebook last week shows Michigan police officers handcuffing a man and holding him in the back of a police car for more than 45 minutes.
His crime?
Riding his bike from one job to his second job one town over.
On June 6, Brian Frank was leaving one job and headed to another on a bicycle when he was pulled over by police for not having a light on his bicycle.
Frank was holding a flashlight to fulfill the legal requirement that his bicycle have lights. And even though he just bought a truck, he rides his bike to work while he saves up to get his driver license.
Even though he was holding up a flashlight and riding as close to the grass as he could, officers stopped him anyway.
In a video taken by Frank, one officer appears to be upset and standing with his arms crossed and calls for back-up.
In his work uniform, Frank pleads with the officers to let him be on his way, but they seem intent on assuring he’s late to work.
“They’re talking about I have to have an ID,” Frank says. “He’s being aggressive for no reason. I feel threatened because of him right here. This is ridiculous. She wants to check my ID . . . I need an ID to ride a bike.”
Frank describes in the video how more than one officer showed up on scene over him riding a bicycle to work.
“Two cars pulled up for me riding a bike to work, because they don’t have sidewalks down here.”
Apparently, the stop required four officers, several police vehicles and took 45 minutes of Frank’s time, well over the 15 minutes it takes for a reasonable detainment.
All of that so they could run his name and check him for warrants and/or fine him.
In the end, Frank was released from handcuffs and allowed to leave, but not without first being issued a ticket for failing to have a light attached to his bike.
Watch video footage of the stop above.
