Rachel Ettlinger

rettlinger@th-record.com

CITY OF NEWBURGH - Omari Shakur released an apology to the residents of the city of Newburgh on Saturday for his conduct during a traffic stop earlier in the week that was filmed on city police body cameras, stating he has asked the city for an independent investigation into the incident.

The councilman-at-large, who was elected in November 2019, is seen on video declining to give police his license when he was approached by an officer Tuesday for parking his car in the opposite lane of traffic on Carpenter Avenue.

In his statement, Shakur said the video did not show what occurred off-camera within 15 minutes prior to the recording starting.

“I want to apologize to the residents of our city for the way I responded in a recent police encounter,” Shakur wrote in what he said would be his only statement until the investigation is completed. “The reaction displayed is not who I am and I fell short of the love that I feel amongst my constituents in Newburgh and of the leadership I want to represent.”

Newburgh city police unions released a statement Friday accusing Shakur of making threats and using “abusive,” vulgar language toward a police detective and other officers during the situation, telling the detective “I’m your (expletive) boss” and threatening to run another uniformed police officer over, saying “pull your gun out (expletive) ‘cause I’m getting ready to go at you.”

Shakur reportedly said the detective told him to be careful or he would “end up like (his) son.” His 23-year-old son, Antonio Bryant, was shot and killed by police during an incident in 2006.

Newburgh City Mayor Torrance Harvey issued a statement on social media Sunday stating there is an outside organization investing the situation from a “workplace personnel perspective.”

“I support ALL of our City Police officers and commend them for showing patience and deference in the given circumstances, according to the video,” Harvey stated. “After speaking with our District Attorney for Orange County David Hoovler, our City Police Department did nothing wrong, according to his investigation, and I stand in agreement with him.”

Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus released a statement Saturday calling the Newburgh city police video “very disturbing.”

“Elected officials are held to a higher standard and are supposed to conduct themselves as such. … Police officers don’t work for one man or one woman, they work for the people. Law enforcement is a dangerous profession as it is and officials need to set the example by showing them respect and support,” Neuhaus stated.

The Town of Newburgh Police Benevolent Association president Derek Campbell released a statement Saturday saying the organization stands with the City of Newburgh Police Department.

“To watch fellow officers be verbally abused by a politician, especially one from the very city they serve, is heartbreaking to say the least,” Campbell stated.

Shakur stated that since his term began, a priority of his was to “extend an olive branch to the police department” to try to improve community and police relations.

“I believe that all people should be treated with respect and dignity, and that includes members of the police department,” Shakur stated. “That respect must be reciprocal. Though I was not afforded that respect, I should not have reacted in the manner that I did.”

rettlinger@th-record.com