Central Park 5 exoneree Yusef Salaam says he was stopped by police without explanation

NEW YORK (WPIX) — Harlem City Council Member Yusef Salaam said little Sunday when asked about being pulled over by police with what he said was no explanation last week. 

“I’m not making any comment at this particular point in time,” Salaam said at an unrelated press event when pressed by Nexstar’s WPIX News. 

On Friday, police pulled over Salaam in New York City while he was driving with his family. Salaam, who now chairs the Public Safety Committee, said the officer never gave a clear reason for the stop, exemplifying the need for increased police transparency.

The NYPD said Salaam was stopped for tinted windows and that the officer acted legally and professionally. Body camera video of the interaction shows the officer letting Salaam go when he says he is a city council member. 

In the encounter with Salaam, which lasted less than a minute at 6:20 p.m., a police officer — heard in body camera footage provided Saturday by the New York Police Department — asks Salaam to roll down the back windows of his car.

But after Salaam identifies himself and asks if everything is OK, the officer quickly withdraws without providing further explanation for the stop. What Salaam says next is inaudible.

City Council Member Sandy Nurse said she was on a video call with Salaam and other people when he was pulled over. Nurse said she heard Salaam ask the officer for the reason for the stop, for which none was given.

In light of the stop, Salaam declined to participate in a police ride-along Saturday night with fellow council members. The city council is pushing to override New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ veto of the How Many Stops Act. Adams said it would bog down police with unnecessary paperwork for low-level interactions. Council members say it will lead to more transparency. 

When asked why Salaam did not attend the ride-along, he said that he “has something in the future that we will be doing” but did not elaborate. 

Salaam and four other Black or Latino men were falsely accused and convicted of raping and beating a white jogger in Central Park in 1989. Salaam was arrested at age 15 and imprisoned for almost seven years. Their convictions were eventually overturned through DNA evidence.

Salaam won a seat on the New York City Council in November and represents a central Harlem district.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.