Friday, February 17, 2012

Does this man represent the black community?

Al Sharpton’s SUV impounded at La Guardia Airport


Can I get a witness?

The Rev. Al Sharpton tried to move heaven and earth yesterday to keep his SUV from being towed at La Guardia Airport — but no amount of preaching could stop Port Authority cops from impounding the vehicle.

An officer rolled up on the 2008 Lincoln Navigator at around 2 p.m. outside the Delta and US Airways terminal as the MSNBC host’s driver waited to pick him up in a clearly marked “no standing” zone, said PA Police spokesman Al Della Fave.

PAPD cop Oscar Ruiz asked the driver for his paperwork and quickly discovered that the SUV had a suspended registration “due to lack of insurance,” the spokesman said.

At that point, Sharpton emerged from the terminal after a flight from Washington, DC, and raised holy hell over the situation.

“He begins yelling, saying the cop was just doing this because of who he was,” a source said.

“Sharpton was adamant there was insurance,” the source said. “He said he was on the phone with his lawyer, and he told the driver not to give the officer his keys.”

But the driver ignored his boss and turned over the keys to the cop — who issued the vehicle three summonses for illegal parking, lack of insurance and suspended registration.

Sharpton at first disputed the police account when reached by The Post last night — but soon saw the humor in the situation.

“It ain’t my problem,” Sharpton joked, pointing out that he gets driven in cars registered to his media company.

“I just called another car. I keep on rolling.”

When asked what was going to be done about the Navigator’s suspended license and lack of insurance, he said, “Somebody at the office will handle that.”

Sharpton insisted he didn’t throw a tantrum at the airport.

“I only verified what was going on,” Sharpton said. “I don’t have a license. I don’t drive, so I don’t have anything to do with registration or insurance.”

He said insurance, registrations, leases and contracts for the vehicles that ferry him to his myriad appointments are under the control of “my media company,” Sharpton Media, the registered owner of the impounded SUV.






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