Police Commissioner Ray Kelly’s Segway scooter program is shaping up to be more dangerous for cops than the villains they’re chasing – the two-wheeled gyro-powered gizmo ended one cop’s 12-year career, according to a lawsuit.
The vehicle threw Police Officer Gary Schneider during a training session at Floyd Bennett Field on April 20, 2007, when a software glitch caused one of the wheels to seize, according to court papers.
Schneider, 42, assigned to train other officers how to ride the scooters, was tossed to the tarmac, breaking his left leg so severely that doctors were forced to piece his bones back together with a rod and six screws, according to the lawsuit.
“It just locked up on me. I was in surgery for five hours,” Schneider said. “I definitely don’t consider it safe.”
Schneider filed suit last week in Manhattan Supreme Court to force the department to hand over records regarding the purchase, repair and maintenance of the gadgets.
“If they continue to give New York’s Finest Segways, then they should get hazard pay,” said Sam Davis, Schneider’s lawyer. “They’re going to see a lot of cops get injured.”
The NYPD did not respond to phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.
But Davis said he and his client don’t feel the department is responsible for the injury.
“This is a product defect,” said Davis. “We don’t think the city is culpable, but we think the commissioner should take a second look.”
Kelly’s rollout of the scooter in July 2003 was aborted when the gizmo’s faulty batteries caused it to stop suddenly, tossing several officers to the ground, according to press reports.
Segway did not respond to calls for comment.