NYSFTD OUTRAGED OVER SENSELESS SHOOTING

A 27-year-old taxi driver was shot in the Bronx during an apparent dispute over a $40 fare on Monday afternoon.

Alusine Barrie got into the dispute with the 76-year-old passenger on Nelson Avenue near West 169th Street just after 4:30 p.m.

Following the argument, Barrie got out of the taxi, and the passenger, Joseph Meeks, got out.

When Barrie got back into the taxi, police say Meeks shot him in the abdomen.

He was taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he is said to be stable and had surgery on Tuesday. Meeks fled to his nearby home where he was arrested.

Neighbors who know him said Meeks went upstairs to his apartment calmly like nothing ever happened. He was later arrested on a charge of attempted murder.

"It was like seven cops that went inside," said eyewitness Raul Santos. "They kept knocking at the door and he wouldn't answer. Then the people came with a sledgehammer to open the door. They went inside and carried him away."

Meeks, who is awaiting an arraignment, has about 60 prior arrests and a history of drugs and assault.

"We visited Mr. Barrie earlier today, about an hour ago, and the first thing he said was 'please don't let me die,'" said Fernando Mateo with the United Federation of Taxi Drivers. "The 76-year-old that was in his car tried four different credit cards and none of them worked, so Mr. Barrie asked him to get out of the car and pay him, instead of paying him he shot him in the stomach." Barrie has been a taxi driver for nine years and works to support his wife and child back home in Guinea.

"This young man sadly has had to fight for his life because of a senseless and totally unacceptable act of violence," said TLC Commissioner David Do. "We are thankful that he's in stable condition and reaching out to him to offer support. We also applaud the NYPD officers who rapidly apprehended the suspect."

Mateo and the United Federation of Taxi Drivers are asking the district attorney of the Bronx to make sure Meeks is not released back in the streets.

"If he shot a guy for $40, that was defenseless, what's he gonna do if they let him out without posting bail?" Mateo said.

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