Although this is an old RBC Forum entry. did you ever receive an answer to your question?
If not perhaps you should email Jim Reed the RBC's Bike Lawyer and Dan Flanzig the NYBC's Bike Lawyer.
I believe the police officer is incorrect. There is, I believe a statutory hierarchy of road users and bicyclists/bicycles are higher on the hierarchy than motor vehicle operators/motor vehicles. The road user lower on the hierarchy has to give right of way to the road users higher on the hierarchy.