A former FedEx driver claims he has been subjected to a police campaign
of harassment that culminated in a brutal beatdown because he
unwittingly gave an assassin directions to the Brooklyn housing project
where the punk killed two brave cops.
Karim Baker says he had no idea Ismaaiyl Brinsley was about to gun down Detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu last December when he helped him out.
In the months since, Baker says he has been stopped 20 times — but
never ticketed — for supposed traffic infractions by vengeful cops
before he was assaulted by gang officers on Oct. 21.
“I have nothing in my heart against law enforcement at all,” said
Baker, who now works for the Postal Service and is the son of a former
correction officer. “I have no hatred at all toward law enforcement.”
The NYPD confirmed it was investigating the circumstances of Baker’s
arrest last month because he suffered a cracked lip and was taken to
Elmhurst Hospital. But police denied they harassed Baker.
Police say they have no issue with Baker because he cooperated with
their investigation of Brinsley and the tragic double murder.
But the NYPD also admitted it doesn’t document car stops in which motorists are neither arrested nor summonsed.
Baker’s lawyer, Eric Subin, said that’s convenient.
“Twenty times in a year is a lot of times to be pulled over and never
issued a summons,” he said. “This is our strongly held theory. It’s too
much of a bizarre coincidence not to hold water.”
Subin said Baker has had enough and is filing a notice of claim Tuesday in Queens Supreme Court in advance of a state lawsuit.
Baker, 26, said his problems started at 2:13 p.m. on Dec. 20, when he
crossed paths with Brinsley at Willoughby Ave. and Taaffe Place.
Later, Baker told investigators the murderer simply asked him for
directions to the Marcy Houses, a massive housing project located a mile
away in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
“He never met him before,” Subin said. “Never seen him before and he
innocuously said, ‘Can I get directions to the Marcy Houses?’”
Baker said he was having problems with his phone and it took some time before cops were able to track him down.
“They wanted to know what the conversation was about that I had with
the guy,” Baker said. “They wanted to know about what they saw on the
video. What did he say? What did he look like?”
Baker said he told cops there was “nothing at all” unusual about the
way Brinsley acted. “Just a guy asking for directions,” he said.
“They pull him over, they’ll come up to his car, look at him, take his
ID, go back to their car, give him his ID back, say ‘Get the hell out of
here,’” Subin said. “Every single time.”
He said things got worse last month when he was stopped by cops in Corona, Queens.
Baker was charged with resisting arrest, criminal possession of a
controlled substance, obstructing cops, and parking within 15 feet of a
hydrant.
Court records say Baker refused to show ID, reeked of reefer, and
“resisted arrest by flailing his arms and wrestling” with the officers.
Baker denied he had any drugs on him and said he was legally parked
when he was pummeled by cops who pulled up in an unmarked car.
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