Cop Acts Like Cop at 4th and 9th Street Subway Station

A FIPS reader wrote to us about an unfortunate encounter she had with a police officer on Friday morning: 

I just wanted to make you aware of an incident that happened to me [Friday] morning. My 20 lb dog and I were going to my office, as we have many times, and an officer stopped us as we entered the turnstile at the 4th and 9th St station in Park Slope. He asked if I had a bag for her, and I said I could easily put her in the large bag I was carrying. I said I had seen plenty of dogs on the subway not in bags, and some in handbags and in grocery bags. My understanding from reading the MTA rules before ever taking my dog on the subway is you only had to put them in something if asked, or have it with you. 

Instead of allowing me to put her in my bag or go home to get another one, he demanded my ID, and started peppering me with ridiculous questions such as "have you ever been in trouble before?" My dog sat there quietly as he aggressively and condescendingly kept up with the inane line of questioning as he "called me in." I told him we would just go and I would leave her at home, and he said he would let us go with a warning once he heard back that my ID was clear. He then wanted to make small talk with me, and said "you and Betsy will be able to go," as the sweatshirt she was wearing had her name on it. I said, "you have excellent comprehension," which just pushed him over the edge. As crowds of people were moving past us saying "is he seriously stopping you?!" he proceeded to write me a ticket. When I questioned why he was writing me a ticket he said "I guess my comprehension isn't that great."

Is this seriously what our tax dollars are being spent on? Petulant and childish cops who have nothing better to do than to harass women and small dogs in subway stations? I understand the rules are that a dog must be in a bag, which I had, and I immediately said I'd take her home once he started hassling us. Instead, this guy wanted to waste my time and his writing me a ticket and indulging in a power trip. He said the video camera above us has audio, so there should be proof that everything I'm saying is accurate. A photo of him and my dog are attached. 

Do NYPD cops not understand the difference between a terrier and a terrorist? At a time when people across this country are distrusting of police officers and think they're mostly assholes with a badge, this is hardly the behavior that's going to turn that tide. 

Curious to see where the commentariat comes down on this one. On the one hand, sure, there are probably bigger fish to fry for this cop, but on the other hand, if the law is you have to have your dog in a bag, and at the time he stopped you, the dog was not in the bag...also a 20lb. dog is a medium-sized dog. What do you guys think?