Is the mysterious British graffiti artist known as Banksy a 33-year-old Brooklyn freelance engineer?

No, but cops arrested Richard Pfeiffer anyway, last summer, accusing him of drawing a smiley face on an East Village coffee shop wall, when he was merely admiring the work, which he claims was put there by the famous “street artist,” according to his new lawsuit.

Pfeiffer filed suit ion Manhattan Supreme Court against the city and six police officers citing false arrest after he was nabbed outside the Third Rail Coffee shop at 159 2nd Ave. near 10th Street on July 12.

Pfeiffer’s attorney, Ilissa Brownstein, said her client was merely admiring the artwork with his fiance when police pounced.

Cops thought they’d found their culprit because Pfeiffer was carrying a marker, but the engineer showed police that the image wasn’t fresh because it didn’t smudge, Brownstein said.

He also explained that the tip of his marker didn’t match the wall drawing.

But the officers weren’t buying Pfeiffer’s story and he was locked up for 24 hours before a judge released him, according to the suit.

The case against Pfeiffer, who had no criminal record, was tossed in October, the filing says.

Pfeiffer says he lost seven days of work at $45 an hour and has to take Ambien and Trazodone to sleep. He’s suing for unspecified damages.

A spokesman for the city said, “the lawsuit will be reviewed.”

The real Banksy, who’s never revealed his true name, peppered New York City with “exhibits” at unannounced locations every day throughout a 31-day self-styled “residency” in the fall of 2013.

He also sold his work for $60 a pop to unsuspecting tourists in Central Park. Auction houses later said the pieces would sell for up to $160,000 each.​