WOW But the Cop had to do it. That guy hit that cop with some punch. Sometimes I really wonder what goes threw peoples heads when a cop tells you to stop and turn around.
Just let them cuff you and figure everything out after. Let them feel safe even it is for nothing. They can always take the cuffs off if they are wrong.
But as far as why they might have stoped him. Only thing I can think of is that maybe he was not supposed to be walking on the bridge. Yes it was a walk way but maybe a walk way for workers only.
Their is only one bridge I know of that people can walk over and that is the brookln bridge. I walked it when we had that MTA strike a few years ago.