A 12-person jury awarded no money to a bicyclist who claimed a Portland police sergeant grabbed his arm as he pedaled through a pedestrian zone in Old Town, causing the cyclist to crash and break his collarbone.

Jurors deliberated for about two hours Wednesday before deciding that Sgt. Charles Harris had not committed battery and was not negligent for the crash, putting an end to the three-day trial in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Cyclist Stephen Stiffler, 33, had sought $155,000, saying he was on his way to get some pizza at 2 a.m. April 27, 2013, when he pedaled past barricades with signs that stated "Street Closed." Police close off six blocks of Old Town's Entertainment District to allow large crowds of bar patrons to walk safely on Friday and Saturday nights.

Police say the “Street Closed” signs meant no cars or bicycles, but Stiffler thought the signs were meant only to keep out cars. Police said they routinely end up educating cyclists that the "Street Closed" signs mean that applies to them, too -- and that they almost always issue verbal warnings, not tickets.

Juror Tim Stigliano, who commutes by bike between 50 and 75 miles per a week, said that because he also is a cyclist, he felt badly for Stiffler. But after Stigliano heard all of the evidence, he concluded that the sergeant didn’t have time to think about what was happening as Stiffler pedaled in his direction at an estimated 15 to 20 mph.

Stephen Stiffler testifies.

“The officer had two seconds to make a decision, and he was caught off guard,” Stigliano said. “It was just an awful, freak accident.”

Both sides agree that Sgt. Charles Harris was standing in the intersection of Northwest Third Avenue and Couch Street when he yelled "Hey, stop!" as Stiffler approached.

Stiffler said the sergeant took a step toward him and grabbed him with his outstretched arm. The sergeant, however, said he pivoted around and Stiffler crashed into him.

Stiffler’s battery claim was based on the contention that the sergeant intentionally grabbed him. Stiffer also argued in a negligence claim that the sergeant caused the crash by sticking his arm out.

Deputy city attorney Jim Rice said the argument that the sergeant grabbed the cyclist is “ridiculous.”

Stiffler, who is 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, testified that earlier that night he met some friends at bars and had consumed four beers over five hours. Rice criticized Stiffler for moving too fast and failing to obey a stop sign when he pedaled into the intersection.

Rice said Stiffler, who is an experienced cyclist and has a good-paying job as a wine salesman, doesn’t appear to fit the profile of “a zippy young guy” who routinely violates traffic laws.

“Why would you whiz by a cop that close? ...The logical conclusion is he’s more intoxicated than he knows,” Rice said.

An X-ray shows Stephen Stiffler's broken clavicle.

Stiffler's attorneys, Greg and Jason Kafoury, said the argument that Stiffler was intoxicated isn't supported by the facts.

“If alcohol had really been a factor, don’t you think it would have been in that police report?” Jason Kafoury asked jurors.

The officer was at fault, Jason Kafoury continued.

“He (the sergeant) was trying to gain control of a situation at 2 a.m. in the morning,” Jason Kafoury said. “That’s why he stepped and grabbed.”

Greg Kafoury argued that the city should “accept responsibility where responsibility is due. ...You make a mistake, someone has to pay."

More than a year after the crash, a doctor told Stiffler that his right collarbone, which had broken in a few places, has not healed and that he will need two surgeries to put an end to lingering pain.

As Judge Jerry Hodson read the verdict, Harris let out a sigh of relief. Stiffler put a hand on his forehead and looked down toward the floor.

Stigliano, the juror, said that although he feels for Stiffler, he hopes the trial offers a learning experience for others: Street closures apply to bicycles as well as cars.

“The lesson to learn in this case is a bike is a car, until the law is changed,” Stigliano said. “And there are consequences for our actions.”

-- Aimee Green