Wife of murdered NYC cab driver demands justice as violence surges
Retired NYPD lieutenant Joe Cardinale joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the murder of an immigrant from Ghana who was killed after chasing non-paying passengers.
The widow of a slain New York City immigrant taxi driver found dead in the street after chasing down cab fare-evading passengers is demanding justice, as no arrests have been made as of Monday morning.
Kutin Gyimah, a 52-year-old married father of four young children from Ghana, lived with his family in the Bronx and worked his job as a cab driver in Queens on Sunday morning when he let out a group of five passengers at approximately 6:30 a.m. near Beach 54 Street and Arverne Boulevard.
But instead of paying the cab fare, the group allegedly tried to rob Gyimah. Law enforcement sources told WNBC that surveillance footage shows Gyimah chasing after the group on foot, grabbing onto one of them attempting to flee.
The group then allegedly begins to beat the driver. One of them delivered a blow to Gyimah that sent him to the pavement and unable to get back up.
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Kutin Gyimah's widow, Abby Gyiham, embraces her children Sunday. (WNYW )
The group fled the scene, and responding officers found Gyimah lying in the street next to a playground suffering from trauma to the back of the head. He was transported to St. John’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A spokeswoman for the New York Police Department confirmed to Fox News Digital that no arrests have been made as of Monday morning.
At a press conference organized on Sunday, Gyimah’s grieving widow, Abby Gyiham, joined by their four children aged 3, 5, 7 and 8, spoke about her husband, describing him as the "backbone" of their family.
"I have no words to describe him. He was a good man. He was a good, good man," she said. "He was my backbone. I am lost without him."
Kutin Gyimah's widow and children gather for a press conference with the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers on Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022. (WNYW)
During an appearance on Fox News Monday morning, Joe Cardinale, a retired NYPD lieutenant, pointed to the state of policing in the Big Apple, as well as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support of cashless bail.
"She should have justice," Cardinale said of Gyimah’s widow. "How sad is it that in this city, this has become the norm. That people accept this, and she has to accept this because the police aren’t allowed to do their jobs and this man has to take the law into his own hands and chase them down. It shouldn’t be like that. These criminals should be off the streets."
The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to the arrests of the suspects.
New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers held a press conference Sunday, allowing Kutin Gyimah's widow a time to call for justice in her husband's death. (WNYW)
"Her husband went to work this morning like he did every day at 5 a.m. And he's never coming back," Fernando Mateo, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, told reporters on Sunday. "This guy picked them up to take them where they wanted to go. Why kill the man?"
"It probably was the first fare of his day," Mateo added. "His life was taken away. For what? For money? It was taken away for money. That’s what it all boils down to."
In a statement obtained by WABC on Sunday, a spokesperson for City Hall said the NYPD "is actively investigating the fatal assault of a yellow cab driver in Arverne, Queens," describing the incident as a tragedy that is "not only devastating but unacceptable."
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"Violence will not be tolerated in our city, which is why we're working every day to get violent criminals off our streets," the statement said. "We extend our deepest condolences to the victim's family, friends, and coworkers during this painful time, and we will work diligently to bring all people responsible to justice."
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