The politically-connected Brooklyn pastor who mentioned he helped dealer the give up of the person charged with killing Goldman Sachs worker Daniel Enriquez additionally claims he deliberate to hand-deliver the suspect to his pal, Mayor Eric Adams, who was imagined to be ready on the police precinct.
Bishop Lamor Whitehead defined the plan in a Wednesday evening telephone interview with The Submit and mentioned he did “what I wanted to do” to “defend the neighborhood” from suspect Andrew Abdullah following the unprovoked Sunday capturing of Enriquez aboard a Q prepare in Manhattan.
Abdullah was finally arrested Tuesday outdoors of the Manhattan Authorized Support Society workplace after his household took him there as a substitute of NYPD’s fifth Precinct Stationhouse in Chinatown, Whitehead mentioned.
The Canarsie-based Leaders of Tomorrow Worldwide Church buildings bishop’s involvement in Abdullah’s arrest and his relationship to Adams had garnered controversy over the clergyman’s prison previous, and his said function within the arrest was sharply denied by justice advocates concerned.
Whitehead, 44, mentioned Abdullah’s household are congregants of his with whom he has an in depth relationship, which grew extra intimate following the loss of life of a teenage member of the family.
“His aunt and his mother reached out to me yesterday morning and advised me, ‘We don’t know what to do!,’ ” Whitehead mentioned over the telephone.
“His Aunt was crying and so they wanted me to assist them by way of the method. They didn’t know what to do. I advised them to start with, he must give up.
“They spoke to him and mentioned that they might name me again after which they known as me and mentioned, ‘We belief you Bishop. He’s going to give up.’ I requested them if that they had an lawyer and so they mentioned they have been working with authorized assist.”
The bishop mentioned he advised the household to have them deliver Abdullah, 25, to the precinct, however mentioned the household was adamant that he communicate to a lawyer first.
“She mentioned she spoke to the detectives and so they hadn’t labored it out but. I mentioned in case you haven’t labored it out but the detectives can be staking out your workplace!,” Whitehead recalled, earlier than explaining how he then known as Adams, with whom he had appeared at greater than a dozen high-profile occasions in Brooklyn when the mayor was borough president.
“Round 8:30 or 9 a.m., the primary man I known as was the mayor,” Whitehead mentioned.
“He mentioned, ‘All proper, this younger man is alleged to have dedicated a heinous crime.’ He mentioned he would help me in no matter needed to occur for this younger man to give up. He trusted what I had put in place.
“I advised him the household was going to satisfy with him, with the mayor, on the fifth Precinct and he mentioned to maintain him up to date,” Whitehead mentioned.
Phrase quickly obtained out amongst police brass concerning the give up and the bishop mentioned he was “inundated” with calls from chiefs, commissioners and detectives.
“The plan was, he was strolling in with me and I used to be going to show him over to the mayor. The mayor was going to be on the fifth Precinct, as a result of that’s what I arrange with the mayor,” Whitehead defined.
“I used to be in opposition to them going to the lawyer’s workplace,” Whitehead mentioned. “They wanted to come back to the precinct to give up however I left to go to the lawyer’s workplace. I waited with the aunt and the grandmother and once I went to greet his mom, Abdullah obtained out of the automotive and the marshals bum-rushed.”
Whitehead’s account of the arrest was echoed by the Authorized Support Society.
“Earlier than Andrew Abdullah may voluntarily give up himself to the native precinct, he was needlessly ambushed out entrance of our Manhattan trial workplace by Metropolis Marshals, denied of his alternative to first seek the advice of with counsel,” attorneys mentioned in a press release.
Whitehead mentioned he then once more known as his “mentor” Adams, who supplied his profusive reward, based on the pastor.
“I known as the mayor and let him know that he was in custody. He mentioned ‘thanks. You protected our metropolis. You probably did one thing super. No one is aware of what this child may have completed to someone else. You made it occur.’ “
Whitehead, who was ordained ten years after being busted for a $2 million identification theft rip-off for which he served 5 years in state jail, mentioned his relationship with Adams is predicated on neighborhood service.
“I educate monetary literacy to the youths and the neighborhood. I do turkey give backs on the vacations, on Christmas and Thanksgiving. Quite a lot of donations, homeless shelters, meals and clothes donations, gang prevention, peace walks,” Whitehead mentioned.
“He’s my mentor. We’ve completed quite a lot of work in Brooklyn when he was the Brooklyn borough president. He helped me out loads.
“My father was Arthur Miller, he impressed Eric to begin the 100 Black Officers In Regulation Enforcement. He was strangled by 16 law enforcement officials in 1978. He was the primary I can’t breathe, earlier than Eric Gardner”
The flashy minister additionally shot again at critics who “crucified” the “man of the fabric” for his designer threads and luxurious automobile, which have been on full show Sunday.
“I used to be dressed for the day. I used to be going to do work for myself and my entrepreneurship however I obtained the decision to assist my neighborhood. What was I imagined to say? I ought to go dwelling and alter in order that they will determine me as a bishop?” he requested.
“It was in my coronary heart to assist the town, NY city. So I went with what I had on! I had a Fendi jacket on.”
It’s not the primary time Whitehead’s extravagance has raised eyebrows. In 2016, The Submit reported he was noticed driving round Brooklyn in a Maserati and a Bentley — regardless of owing $261,000 for an impressive 2009 court docket judgment over an unpaid private mortgage.
The defendant’s lawyer threw chilly water on the whole premise of Whitehead’s claims about his involvement with the arrest of Abdullah, who was being held with out bail for allegedly randomly killing Enriquez, 48, whereas he was using the Q prepare over the Manhattan Bridge on his solution to brunch.
“So far as the pastor, he has no affiliation with the household. He has no affiliation with the authorized staff and the statements he has made claiming on behalf of the household are unfaithful,” Authorized Aide lawyer Kristin Bruan mentioned.
Mayor Adams had beforehand publicly referred to Whitehead as “my good pal and good brother,” however his workplace was rather more guarded in response to The Submit’s inquiry’s concerning the bishop’s account of Tuesday’s arrest.
“There's a assassin off the road and New Yorkers must be grateful to the NYPD for apprehending this harmful particular person,” spokesman Fabien Levy mentioned.
“Because the mayor mentioned yesterday, that is an lively case in entrance of the DA and we’re not going to say something extra that would probably impede a trial and conviction.”
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