Court Denies Bail for Suspect in Plot to Behead NYPD Commissioner

NEW YORK – A Brooklyn man was ordered held without bail on Tuesday after being charged with trying to hire a hit man for $65,000 (euro50,000) to bomb police headquarters and (euro50,000) to behead Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

"I want people to feel my wrath and my rage," David Brown told an undercover officer, according to court papers.

Brown, 47, was arrested Monday on a charge of second-degree criminal solicitation. Authorities say he spoke about wanting to avenge the shooting by undercover detectives of an unarmed man, Sean Bell, on his wedding day.

"I am very angry over Sean Bell and other cases like that," he allegedly said a taped conversation.

Brown was scheduled to appear in Bronx Criminal Court again on Friday. A call to his attorney was not immediately returned.

Though it appeared Brown did not have the means to carry out his scheme, authorities said they had to take the threat seriously.

"I think this person clearly needs psychiatric help," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Brown, who was already behind bars at Rikers Island on an unrelated charge, asked an unidentified man to contact someone who was willing to undertake the contract killing, police said. That led to the undercover officer contacting Brown, who promised to pay $15,000 for the hit and another $50,000 for the bombing.

In November, five officers fired 50 shots at a car driven by Bell, 23, around the corner from a topless club in Queens. The officers have said they believed the victim and two friends were going to retrieve a gun to settle a dispute outside the club, but no weapon was found.

A grand jury is considering possible charges against the five officers involved.

Bell was black, as are his two friends, who were wounded in the shooting. Three of the officers are black and two white. All have been removed from duty and put on paid leave.

Brown was convicted in 2001 of trying to kill his wife and served about five years. He was behind bars in Rikers for violation of an order of protection for the same woman, authorities said.