Yankees GM Brian Cashman explains why he was mistaken for car thief, stopped at gunpoint by police
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was mistaken for a car thief and stopped at gunpoint by police on Friday in Connecticut.
The New York Post reported that Cashman's white Jeep Wrangler was stolen last weekend, and police found it in the Bronx during the week. After picking up his car, Cashman was asked to bring the car to the Norwalk Police Department to have it processed, but the vehicle had mistakenly been left on a list of stolen vehicles.
After his car was noticed on the road during his drive, a group of armed officers stopped Cashman as he left a gas station, under the assumption that he was the thief.
"I had a welcoming committee descend upon me as I pulled out of that gas station," Cashman told The New York Post.
"They’re clearly very professional and trained, and they asked me to turn my car off, exit the vehicle, walk backwards towards them. ... They were executing their duty."
Cashman told the newspaper that police were looking for "someone in a white Jeep that was brandishing a gun in a local doctor’s office" when they saw his car. He said he explained the situation to police and was then escorted to the police station, to avoid any future confusion.
"The public should take encouragement when someone is in a stolen vehicle, they’re not going to get very far," he told The New York Post.
"I have high respect for all law enforcement. They do an amazing job, whether you’re in Connecticut and New York City — and sometimes unique circumstances can occur."
Contributing: Tom Schad
Nick Schwartz is an editor and writer at For The Win. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Schwartz.