Postal Worker Calls for Disciplinary Action After Controversial NYPD Arrest

Postal worker Glen Grays, who is accusing New York police officers of misconduct after a controversial arrest on St. Patrick’s Day, says he does not want the officers who handled his arrest to be fired, but demands they face some sort of disciplinary action for their conduct that day, CBS reports. 

“I don’t want them to be jobless because they might have family, kids they need to support,” Grays told CBS This Morning. “It’s sad that I thought that when I put on a uniform that I’ll be treated a little different, but it’s no difference. You know, I’m just another brother with a uniform.”

The controversy stems form an incident in which cellphone video captured plainclothes NYPD officers approaching the 27-year-old in the middle of his shift. Grays said that the men almost hit him while they drove by in an unmarked police car, and, not realizing that they were cops, Grays did what almost every New Yorker would have done, and yelled at them.

The plainclothes officers then proceed to hop out of the vehicle and demand Grays’ identification, which he tells them is in his U.S. Postal Service truck. 

“My ID’s right there on the side of the truck,” Grays says.

“Let’s go get your ID,” an officer says.

Grays responds by telling officers that he has his mail to deliver, and the officers respond by handcuffing him. Seconds later, an officer demands that Grays “stop resisting.” 

“I’m not resisting!” Grays can be heard responding. 

The 27-year-old is led away, with his mail truck left unattended. 

“The only thing I think saved me is that it was on videotape,” Grays told CBS. 

“Never been arrested, never received a summons. I was extremely terrified. I wouldn’t say afraid—I passed the stage of afraid,” he added. “I was afraid that if I complied that something was going to happen to me.”

Grays said that during the ride to the police station, he was told to “shut up a numerous amount of times.”

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, agrees with Grays that the officers’ actions were uncalled for. 

“If it can happen to the mailman, it can happen to anyone in the community,” Adams, who released the video to the public, said. “Those officers were extremely aggressive and I believe that they wanted him to resist. He was smart enough not to resist. … I believe because of that, he’s sitting here today telling his story.”

According to CBS, Grays is scheduled for a court hearing in early May on disorderly conduct charges. The NYPD is also investigating the claims of disorderly conduct by their own officers, but noted that all three officers involved in the incident remain on duty, but have been placed on general patrol pending the investigation.