An off-duty city police officer was arrested after being accused of punching a cabdriver in the face on the East Side, the police said.
The officer, Sidney Garcia, 42, was charged with third-degree assault on Friday evening, several hours after the driver of a yellow taxicab reported that he had been assaulted during an argument with five people late Thursday.
Officer Garcia was stripped of his gun and badge, and was suspended without pay for 30 days, as detectives from the Internal Affairs Bureau of the Police Department began an inquiry.
Appointed to the force on Feb. 28, 1994, Officer Garcia is currently assigned to the department’s Applicant Processing Division, where he handles the submissions of candidates to become police officers.
According to the police, Officer Garcia was with four other people on Thursday night when they tried to hail a cab at Third Avenue and 35th Street about 11:20 p.m. When a taxi pulled over, the officer and the others tried to get in.
“The cabby said no,” said a law enforcement official, adding that the driver apparently felt that having five passengers would violate the rules of the Taxi and Limousine Commission.
Words were exchanged as the five people got into the taxi, with Officer Garcia in front, the police said.
“Then, the off-duty cop allegedly hits” the driver in the face, said the official, who requested anonymity because the investigation was continuing.
The cabby drove away after the encounter. It was not until finishing his shift and returning to his garage, about 3:30 a.m., that he came across Officer Garcia’s ID card and shield inside the vehicle, law enforcement officials said. He then contacted the police.
The extent of the driver’s injuries, if any, was not immediately clear, and the police did not identify the driver by name.
Officer Garcia was arrested about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, the police said.
“Our rules restrict the number of passengers to the number of seat belts available,” Allan J. Fromberg, a spokesman for the Taxi and Limousine Commission, said.
“The number of authorized passengers would go on the rate card that’s in the vehicle, the card that goes next to the driver’s license,” Mr. Fromberg said, adding that the agency did not keep “crime stats” on events like assaults against drivers. He declined to comment on what led to Officer Garcia’s arrest.
The police would not say if Officer Garcia had previously faced disciplinary action in the course of his 16-year career.
Since 1984, on average, more than 100 police officers a year have been arrested.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
lol Sucka!
I’m glad this story is in the news…This is not uncommon for some potential passengers to get irate because a driver just wants to follow the rules. The street goes both ways and disorder can happen in both directions. This should always be on the minds of those who are in judgment.
TLC’s, Allan Fromberg, said the “agency does not keep crime stats on . . . assaults against drivers.” Oh, so many TLC statistics DEMONIZING cabbies, but none on drivers being assaulted!! Is that short enough for you? And what would you do about it? Nada.
how bout on assaults from u on the message boards??????
Willie g. I know what an assault is and I have not assaulted any driver on this website. Why don’t you ask Mr. Yessky, why statements and statistics DEMONIZING cab drivers flow forth from the TLC, but no statistics on how many cabbies victim of criminal assaults. Unbelievable.
TLC will not apologize for anything, and nor will they say anything about how it is too bad the Taxi Driver was assaulted by a cop who has been suspended. Course they will not talk while the “internal affairs investigation is going on.”
From the poem, how apt the last two or three lines are:
Tho’ I’ve belted you an’ flayed you,
By the livin’ Gawd that made you,
You’re a better man than I am, Taxi Driver.
Is this why the NYPD cop went ahead and punched the driver in the face?
What is going on with the prosecution of the 6 cab dispatchers at JFK who are
under indictment?
One time I wouldn’t take 5, and he pulled out his badge and said you can take five, we are police (they were State Police). I said know, and they got out and then one of them kicked the right rear fender of the cab. I took off and went around the block to take a different fare, and believe it or not I didn’t recognize the kicker, he was going to take my cab, and I said are you the one from around the block? I’m not taking you, then he kicked the right rear fender again. At that time I knew where they were going and that some of them lived up there, and I’d get one of their cars later. However, at the taxi garage, a city cops were there and I said look what happened! They asked if I wanted to do something about it. I said, I have no interest in fighting with a pig and a slob. Then the taxi mechanic said open the trunk, and then he popped out the dent with his hand. I went to the car wash to try to get the shoe kick marks off. After I came out of the car wash, when I went to show the wipers the marks, they were gone!!! So I didn’t have to get anyone back. But it is just another incident that shows how cabbies are DEMONIZED.
Hope this wasn’t too long for you Willie g.
five
Is there too much lanolin in Mayor Bloomberg’s shampoo?
This is so ridiculous to say that the NYC cab driver was looking out for NOT Violating the four passenger rule……working in midtown for 20 yrs I have seen PLENTY of yellow NYC cabs have more than Four Passengers in the vehicle,They were not too worried then.
I have also seen plenty of NYC yellow cabs REFUSE a Fare…Isnt that also against TLC Rules And Regulations????? Hmmmmmm
I dint heard or wacth this new on the screen of my taxi, Why ?
if the driver had been making something wrong I am 100% sure the new will be a boom like the out town fair. ( all the passangers were wacthing me like a terrorist at that time)
We need a good and strong union to be hearing and to fight for our rights the question is How can we do it ? I think is easier put 12 monkeys for a picture….
the union sucks,,they cant get everyone to sign up,,if they could it may work
To Willie g. Doesn’t the Alliance have about 5500 members? I know that 42,000 signed up would be more powerful. The Alliance needs to march down to the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
To DRG. Yes I see plenty of cabbies taking 5, very greedy. This only makes the party think that they will get a ride back for 5, and when they don’t they punch the cabbie in the face. It is the greedy cabbies taking 5 that inspire the prospective riders to try and to beg.
the new age cabbies have no rules,,its do whatever, refuse whatever, and steal rides from fellow cabbies
To DRG: Your right but you are also wrong. Five passengers is against the rules and if there is an accident the insurance will not cover. They may even cancel. So, stop trying to save $2. and go get a second taxi-Spit up, we are not buses!!!!
FOR ALL TAXI DRIVERS OUT THERE !!!!! IF YOU ARE INSULTED OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM WITH PASSENGERS DO NOT ARGUE , CALL 911 IMMEDIATLY…
This officer like many think there above the law because they are a part of upholding the law. i hope he loses his job over this .Cabbies are hard workers And if that same officer saw this when he was on duty he would give that cabbie a ticket …..KARMA ,,