The aged gunman accused of capturing a cabbie in a rage over a fare seethed “I’m gonna kill you” earlier than he pulled the set off, new court docket paperwork revealed Wednesday.
Joseph Meeks, 76, allegedly shot 27-year-old cabbie Alusine Barrie round 4:30 p.m. Monday on Nelson Avenue close to West 169th Road in Highbridge, after the irate passenger couldn’t cough up the $40 he owed for a trip from Harlem, in accordance with cops and a union official.
“I’m gonna kill you,” the enraged passenger snarled earlier than whipping out a gun and capturing Barrie within the abdomen, the court docket papers revealed.
The heartless shooter then casually went dwelling to his senior residing facility on the road the place the sufferer had dropped him off and left his firearm out within the open, cops mentioned.
Barrie advised The Put up in an unique Tuesday interview from his hospital mattress that he had no clue his passenger – who seemed to be drunk – had a gun till it was too late.
“He simply get out,” mentioned Barrie, who was on a respiration machine. “He closed his door, he rotated and shot me. I attempted to place the automotive in drive, he rotated and shot me.”
Barrie then opened the door and fell out of the automotive with images exhibiting him mendacity down on his again as first responders and his mom cared for him in the course of the road.
After Barrie was shot, he referred to as his mom who lives close by and was even capable of take images of the sinister septuagenarian hovering over him.
“He advised me that, ‘Mother, Mother, please come, I’m dying. Come, allow us to speak, please, please.’ I get there shortly,” Barrie’s mom, Haja Idrissa Bahm, mentioned.
“He’s on the bottom,” Bahm advised The Put up. “He inform me, ‘Mother, I’m sorry about all the pieces that I did to you,’ I mentioned ‘No, it will likely be okay, it will likely be okay, don’t say that.’”
Cops arrested Meeks about three-and-a-half hours later inside his residence, police mentioned.
Inside Meeks’ unit, the arresting officer discovered a silver 25 caliber pistol loaded with 5 stay rounds within the journal, every topped with a steel projectile, “in plain view” on the lounge desk, the court docket docs mentioned.
Meeks has a lot of prior arrests, together with two current busts the place the fees weren’t bail eligible underneath the state’s lax felony justice insurance policies.
He was hit with prices of menacing and fourth-degree felony possession of a weapon stemming from an April 29, 2024 incident through which he allegedly was armed with a gun and threatened to kill a sufferer, in accordance with Manhattan prosecutors.
Meeks was additionally slapped with prices of petit larceny and fifth-degree felony possession of stolen property stemming from an alleged automotive break-in on June 19, the Manhattan District Legal professional’s Workplace mentioned.
Barrie has been within the nation for about 9 years and sends a refund to his spouse and little one in Guinea.
He’s been working for a similar firm since 2023, in accordance with Fernando Mateo, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.
“This can be a very senior citizen, 76, I imply, you’ve lived your life virtually, proper?” Mateo advised reporters of Meeks. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to stay until you’re 80 or 90, however he’s lived most of his life. Why is he making an attempt to take a younger man’s life away?”
Meeks – who was charged with tried homicide, assault, felony possession of a weapon and harassment – was ordered held on $25,000 money bail or $75,000 bond throughout his Tuesday night arraignment.
His subsequent court docket date is ready for Friday.
