Bike messenger speaks out about off-duty NYPD gun incident in Greenwich Village

Lucy Yang Image
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Bike messenger speaks about confrontation with off-duty officer with gun
Lucy Yang reports from Greenwich Village.

GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The bike messenger who got into a confrontation with an off-duty NYPD sergeant who pulled his gun in Greenwich Village is speaking out.

Biker Dejaune Jones says he closed the side view mirror when a gray Honda came dangerously close to his bike.

Seconds later, as this cell phone video shows, the driver pulls out his revolver.

"How you going to pull a gun out in the middle of the street," Jones said in the video.

It was Monday afternoon in Greenwich Village. Four bike messengers were heading to a job when the lead rider, Jones, claims the car almost hit him, forcing him to close the mirror.

During this frightening and heated confrontation, the bikers insist the driver never identified himself as a police officer.

"As I look up, he has his silver revolver in my face," Jones said. "I was honestly waiting for boom to go off."

"We're reviewing it internally," Chief James O'Neill said.

Meanwhile, Jones, who tells Eyewitness News he is an athlete who has never been arrested before, is now being charged with criminal mischief, possession of a weapon and other offenses.

Police claim he lunged at the officer with an 8-inch ice pick which was never found at the scene.

"I never lunged at him with 8-inch ice pick," Jones said.

Jones says this will not diminish his passion for riding, but he plans to file charges and hire an attorney.