Al kid cuffed
Cops: Sharpton daughter punched cabbie
NO JUSTICE, no peace — of birthday cake.
A birthday celebration for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s daughter ended in handcuffs early Saturday after she punched a cabbie in Midtown and snatched his keys, police sources said.
Ashley Sharpton was in a yellow taxi just before 1 a.m. with three of her friends near W. 48th St. and Ninth Ave. Each of the passengers gave the driver a different destination. Cabbie Georges Coly — annoyed and confused — stopped the car and refused to move until Sharpton’s group could figure out where they wanted to go.
That’s when Sharpton, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, grabbed the keys from the ignition, according to cops. She jumped out of the car and threw the keys — which the driver didn’t see.
When Coly, 44, approached her demanding his keys back, Sharpton shoved him, the cabbie told police.
Sharpton ran off but cops caught up with her about two hours later on W. 46th St. and took her into custody. Cops gave her a desk appearance ticket and sent her home. A police source said she wasn’t charged with assault because the cabbie wasn’t injured.
“She told me it didn’t happen the way they said it happened, but I can’t speak for a 30-yearold woman,” the reverend told the Daily News on Saturday morning.
Hours later, during his weekly National Action Network rally at the group’s Harlem headquarters, the preacher claimed the younger Sharpton was targeted by police because she’s his daughter.
“All I know is that you got four people in a cab, and there’s some altercation, and they find out two hours later one of them is Al Sharpton’s daughter, she’s the one that’s going to the precinct,” the firebrand civil rights leader told the crowd.
“If you’re my child or you’re related to me, you’re guilty until proven innocent. But we’ll fight that out in court."
Ashley Sharpton turned 30 on Friday.
“Happy Birthday to my youngest, Ashley,” Sharpton tweeted Friday. “A strong black woman and committed activist. So proud to be your Dad.”
Sharpton’s daughter attended Saturday’s NAN rally but did not speak to reporters or address the crowd.
There actually though.
Two cakes — one with an image of his daughter’s face on it — were brought out in her honor as the crowd sang “Happy Birthday.”
Her attorney Michael Hardy, who is also an executive vice president and lead counsel for NAN, said Sharpton will vigorously fight the charges.
“What was reported did not happen,” Hardy said. “There are no actual formal charges yet because she was released on a desk appearance ticket. In terms of any criminal act, I don’t believe there was any criminal act.” was cake,