Exonerated 5 Councilman Says NYPD Officer Stopped Him Without Giving Reason

Photo: Getty Images Yusef Salaam, an exonerated “Central Park Five” member who now serves on the New York City Council, said he was stopped by an NYPD officer and not given a reason. “Last night, while driving with my wife and children and listening in to a call with my Council colleagues on speakerphone, I was pulled over by an NYPD officer in my beloved Village of Harlem within the 28th Precinct. I introduced myself as Councilman Yusef Salaam, and subsequently asked the officer why I was pulled over. Instead of answering my question, the officer stated, ‘We’re done here,’ and proceeded to walk away,” Salaam said in a statement on Saturday (January 27), per NBC New York. The traffic stop, which occurred on Friday (Jan. 26), came after Mayor Eric Adams vetoed a city council bill that would require more transparency in police encounters. Following the veto, Adams and NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban suggested council members take part in a ride-along with police officers. “With a bill pending that could make the city less safe, city councilmembers deserve to see firsthand how our NYPD officers are keeping the public safe and building relationships in our communities — and they...