NYC councilman Yusef Salaam was pulled over by NYPD − while on a call about police stops

NEW YORK − A New York City councilman, who was one of the Central Park Five, is speaking out about being pulled over by police amid a fight over transparency on how the New York City Police Department stops people.

Yusef Salaam issued a statement Saturday about the Friday traffic stop while he was with his wife and children in Harlem. He said he was on a call on speakerphone with other council members at the time − one of whom said they were discussing police stops.

Councilwoman Sandy Nurse said on social media that she was on the call as Salaam was pulled over and not given a reason for the stop, while getting briefed by lawyers on what to expect during a ride-along stop.

"You cannot make this up," she said.

Salaam and four other Black and Latino youths were falsely accused of a 1989 rape and beating of a white woman who was running in Central Park. He was wrongly imprisoned and released in 1997. All convictions were vacated. In late 2023, Salaam won a seat on the City Council to represent Harlem.

Less than a month into his tenure, Salaam was stopped by police at about 6:20 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, the NYPD released a portion of bodycam footage showing the stop on social media. While Salaam said it was never clear why he was stopped, the NYPD later defended the officer's actions, saying Salaam was pulled over for tinted windows.

Video shows the officer approached Salaam's blue sedan and asked him to roll down the back window, which Salaam did. The officer presented himself as a member of the NYPD and shined a flashlight on Salaam in the driver's seat. Salaam said he was a council member for the district, and asked whether everything was OK.

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The officer responded, yes, and asked whether Salaam was working. After Salaam responded that he was, he asked the officer why he was pulled over, as audio recording obtained by the New York Times shows. The officer never indicated why he stopped Salaam. The officer responded, "Alright, take care, sir."

On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams told WNYC it's unclear whether the officer heard Salaam's question. But officers aren't required to state why they stop people, Adams said.

Salaam said the interaction calls into question how NYPD stops New Yorkers. He and other members of the City Council have pushed the NYPD and Adams for greater reporting on all stops, including low-level interactions. 

"This experience only amplified the importance of transparency for all police investigative stops because the lack of transparency allows racial profiling and unconstitutional stops of all types to occur and often go unreported," Salaam said in a statement.

In addition to the video, the NYPD released a statement and redacted vehicle report that said the stop was for windows tinted beyond the legal limit. The NYPD didn't respond to a question from USA TODAY on whether the incident resulted in a citation to Salaam.

"As the video shows, throughout this interaction, the officer conducted himself professionally and respectfully," the NYPD statement said, pointing to procedures put in place after a police detective was shot and killed through tinted windows in 2007. "This officer should be commended for his polite, professional and respectful conduct and for using his discretion appropriately so the councilmember could complete his official duties."

The NYPD statement said the officer had probable cause of violation of state Vehicle and Traffic Law, not a lower-level interaction. NYPD procedure requires all vehicle stops to be documented with a report, as was the case with Salaam, according to the statement.

Salaam said Adams had previously invited him to participate in a ride-along with NYPD. He stated he would no longer participate after the encounter and lack of details by the mayor's office.

"Many of us in the council know what it’s like to feel vulnerable and powerless when stopped by an officer because we have personally experienced triggering interactions like I had last night," Salaam said. "It is our duty as public servants to collect the data necessary to determine the pervasiveness of these stops and solutions to build the trust necessary to make our neighborhoods safer."

In a statement, Adams said he appreciated Salaam bringing the stop to his attention.

"We also appreciate and commend the NYPD for following all proper police procedures and being respectful during last night’s interaction, as the video and vehicle stop report show," Adams said. "The village of Harlem deserves nothing less, and we are remain excited to work with Councilmember Salaam.”

Nurse, the councilwoman, called for legislation for greater reporting on stops. After Adams vetoed the bill on Jan. 19, the City Council plans to meet Tuesday to override his veto.