Report: New York EMT Charged With Falsely Claiming He Was Attacked by ‘Thugs’ on Christmas
In a story that made headlines in New York earlier this week, an Emergency Medical Technician for the New York City Fire Department claimed he was stabbed and robbed of $2,600 in gifts early on Christmas morning in the Bronx. But now, that man has been charged with filing a false police report — as police sources told the New York Post that the man’s story was full of holes.
The man, 41-year-old Steven Sampson, said he saw what the Post identified in its original account as “four menacing thugs” at Bronx intersection just after midnight. He’d pulled over and gotten out of his car to sort gifts, as he was en route to a Christmas party. Then, Sampson claimed one of the men said “Hey, Cracker!”
Firefighter tough guy slashed by thugs who stole his presents via @NYPost https://t.co/qJnSSayGUi
— Tina Moore (@TinaMoorereport) December 26, 2016
A physical altercation was said to have begun immediately thereafter, where Sampson — reportedly a black belt in judo — locked one of the men in an arm bar, while two others stole the gifts. Then Sampson noticed blood gushing from his arm. He’d been stabbed just below his right shoulder.
Sampson was stabbed, according to police. That much is true. But they say it’s unclear how it happened.
And according to the Post, those sources say that Sampson made the whole thing up.
“He gave so many different accounts of what happened, he’s no longer credible,” an unnamed police source told the Post — which has yet to update its original report.
Mediaite columnist John Ziegler questioned the report, a Post exclusive, immediately after it was published. (He will have a column posted about the incident shortly.)
@TinaMoorereport @nypost Tina I'm sure U checked this out, but doesn't it seem awfully fishy/racist 2 be hanging it all on word of 1 person?
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) December 26, 2016
@Zigmanfreud @nypost He filed a police report. I would never hand it on a story from him without that. thanks, though.
— Tina Moore (@TinaMoorereport) December 26, 2016
@Zigmanfreud @nypost Are you serious? We write about police investigating things all the time that aren't proven to be true yet. You're an a
— Tina Moore (@TinaMoorereport) December 26, 2016
@TinaMoorereport @nypost You wrote the story as if it was true without a hint of skepticism. It may be true, but there are ton of red flags.
— John Ziegler (@Zigmanfreud) December 26, 2016
The New York Daily News reports that Sampson was charged with filing a false police report and issued a desk appearance ticket.
Sampson’s wife Michell, however, disputed the report when conctacted by the News.
“There’s no false report. My husband was stabbed and he was robbed,” she told the News. “He was not charged with anything.”
[featured image via screengrab]
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