Brooklyn Livery Driver Killed; Bronx Driver Escapes Armed Robbery

April 16, 2000 – New York City

New York City’s livery cab community is in mourning after a tragic incident in Brooklyn claimed the life of 43-year-old driver Jean Robert Scutt, marking the seventh livery driver slain on the job this year. The killing comes just one day after another driver was murdered, intensifying fears within the industry.

A Fatal Fare in Brooklyn

Scutt, who worked with Commodore Car Service in Flatbush, picked up a fare in the early morning hours on East 49th Street and Avenue D. By 2:15 a.m., his 1989 Lincoln had crashed into parked cars and a fence at the corner of Newkirk and Nostrand Avenues. He had been shot once in the upper torso.

Although his vehicle had been fitted with a frame for a bulletproof partition, the protective glass had not yet been installed. Scutt was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

He leaves behind two children in Haiti, as well as family in Brooklyn. “I will miss him a lot,” said his half-brother, Alterne Aubry, who recalled sharing dinner with him just hours before the tragedy. Relatives gathered at home, praying over an open Bible as they mourned his loss.

Police say robbery does not appear to be the motive, as Scutt was found with money still in his possession.

City Leaders Respond

Mayor Rudy Giuliani condemned the spate of violence, declaring, “This is not open season on livery-cab drivers.” The NYPD immediately assigned hundreds of additional officers, including the full Street Crime Unit, to address the crisis. The mayor also announced that financial support would be made available for drivers wishing to install bulletproof partitions in their vehicles.

Fernando Mateo, president of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, issued a plea to the public: “If anyone witnessed or saw the cowards who did this, turn them in.”

A Bronx Driver’s Narrow Escape

While Brooklyn was reeling from Scutt’s death, another livery driver in the Bronx narrowly escaped a potentially deadly encounter. Around 3 a.m., driver Baba Darboe picked up three passengers — two men and a woman — in High Bridge.

During the trip, both men suddenly drew guns and pressed them to Darboe’s head. According to police, the woman urged the men to “shoot him.” Thinking quickly, Darboe spotted a police cruiser near Kingsbridge Road and Jerome Avenue. He made a sharp U-turn and pulled alongside the officers.

The swift action led to the immediate arrest of the suspects, identified as William Wainwright, 23; Mark Forte, 19; and Carolyn Brown, 17. Police recovered a .380-caliber handgun belonging to Forte but are still searching for the second weapon.

A Community on Edge

The twin incidents — one ending in tragedy, the other in a narrow escape — underscore the dangers faced by New York City’s livery drivers. Families, advocates, and city leaders are calling for stronger protections and greater urgency in addressing the crime wave.

As relatives grieve and survivors count their blessings, the message from the livery driver community remains clear: no one should have to risk their life simply for doing their job.

Source: NYSFTD News Archive