In the midst of his stabbing spree across the city, Maksim Gelman forced his way into a livery cab and allegedly stabbed the driver in an attempt to gain control of the car. Driver Fitz Fullerton was taken to the hospital early Saturday to be treated for gashes to his face and hands, where police arrived to question him about the stabbings. However, he also claims they questioned him about his personal history, and soon had him in cuffs for an "unpaid ticket" from 2001. Of course, that's not quite how police see it.
Fullerton said, “I believed a police officer was supposed to protect you. Someone tried to kill me and I didn’t call the police for them to arrest me; I called them to protect me.”He claims police began questioning him about things like child support while he was at the hospital, and that he explained that he had one outstanding ticket for a double parking violation from a few months prior. He said he asked for information about the 2001 summons but wasn't given any. He then says he was taken to a holding cell at the 73rd precinct and made to stand for most of a 10-hour detention with his wounds still fresh.
Police spokeswoman Kim Royster said, “He was receiving medical attention at the hospital. During the time, we determined that he had an outstanding warrant. Once that was communicated to the officer, our policy is to secure that person, and that’s what the officer did.” She also said the warrant "was from 2001, Family Court." They also said they kept him in detention for about an hour. Fullerton is contemplating legal action now, but there is one thing both he and the police seem to agree on: Gelman's creepiness. Fullerton said, “Even looking at the guy in the lineup, the guy just looked crazy."
