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Four plain-clothed police officers and a lieutenant arrested an on-duty mailman for road rage last Thursday. A Brooklyn official is now calling for an investigation of the incident.
Glenn Grays of East New York told authorities that he was driving his postal truck at around 4 p.m. in Crown Heights on March 17 when a vehicle nearly struck him. In anger, the 27-year-old shouted something out of his window. The vehicle then stopped and five men walked out of it.
As the men revealed themselves as police officers and a lieutenant and grabbed Grays to arrest him, onlookers captured the moment on their cellphones. Those witnessing the arrest can be heard in the footage questioning why Grays was being apprehended. Police later said the arrest was sparked by Grays being “loud and boisterous” and cussing at them.
“Stop resisting!” one of the officers says, as Grays is being handcuffed.
“You’re going to get hurt if you don’t give me your f—ing hands,” another officer says.
The men walked Grays to an unmarked car and drove away. He was taken to the 71st Precinct Stationhouse and issued a summons, according to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“They issued him a summons in hopes of sweeping this under the rug,” Adams said at a press conference held regarding the arrest, NY Daily News reported. “It is not a crime for someone to voice outrage after almost being struck by a vehicle … It is not a crime to state that you’re angry at someone who almost hit you. That is not a crime.”
Adams said that Grays is traumatized by the ordeal and that the Internal Affairs should investigate the authorities who were involved.
“This could have been another Eric Garner situation if Glenn hadn’t responded as calmly as he did. And if they would do that to Glenn in his uniform, they would do that to any person of color in that neighborhood,” Adams added.
The Brooklyn politician said that several mistakes were made during the arrest that could land the officers and lieutenant in hot water, such as the men leaving Grays’ truck unattended.
“I believe there were federal violations. Number one, leaving that truck unsecured. Number, two, interrupting the delivery of mail. There are clear NYPD procedures when you are arresting a federal employee,” he said. “We don’t know if even those basic procedures were followed.”
At the press conference addressing the arrest, Grays’ mother and his friend, Michael Thomas, shared a few words. His mother said that she “immediately started crying” when she saw the footage. Thomas revealed something that Grays told him about being harassed by police.
“Glenn told me, ‘I thought if I got a job they would leave me alone,'” he recounted.
Adams said that Grays has a clean record.
The NYPD is currently reviewing the incident.
