On October 3rd, a notable incident occurred when State Assemblyman Eddie Gibbs, a political ally of Eric Adams, was arrested by city police. However, it’s important to clarify that this arrest is unrelated to any scandal involving Adams. The situation arose when Gibbs attempted to intervene after law enforcement stopped his brother’s vehicle for a traffic violation.
According to reports, the New York Police Department’s Strategic Response Group pulled over Gibbs’ brother’s car at around 1:30 PM near East 117th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem due to a malfunctioning tail light.
When Gibbs arrived at the scene, he reportedly showed his ID to the police and instructed his brother to exit the vehicle. The officers advised Gibbs’ brother to stay inside while urging Gibbs, who appeared emotionally agitated, to step back. Despite multiple warnings from the police, Gibbs refused to comply, resulting in his arrest for disorderly conduct.
This isn’t Gibbs’ first brush with the law. Back in the late ’80s, he was involved in cocaine trafficking and later faced murder charges that led to a year in Rikers Island. He ultimately struck a plea agreement that reduced the charges to manslaughter, asserting that the shooting was an act of self-defense during a home invasion. In a remarkable turn of events, Gibbs made history in 2022 as the first former felon elected to the state assembly.
Currently, Gibbs is also dealing with allegations related to the wrongful termination of a former employee. The individual, who suffered a leg amputation due to an injury, filed a lawsuit in June, claiming he was unjustly dismissed while recovering from his hospitalization.
Gibbs continues to maintain strong relationships with both Adams and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. In this year’s Democratic primary for the state assembly, he secured a narrow victory, winning by just 500 votes against his opponent.