Former Knick Charles Oakley arrested after fighting, getting tossed out of Madison Square Garden

On Wednesday night, Charles Oakley showed everyone the same bruising style that he displayed for decades on the basketball court while the New York Knicks met the Los Angeles Clippers — only this time the retired NBA star did it in street clothes and in the stands at Madison Square Garden.

The former New York Knick forward, known for his physical type of play that made him an all-star and helped the Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1994, adding another bizarre chapter to what has already been an ugly Knicks season after getting physically removed from his MSG seats and arrested — reportedly on the orders of Knicks owner James Dolan.

Soooooo Charles Oakley just got into a fight at he Knicks game. pic.twitter.com/klZBD89VI7

— Ian Schafer (@ischafer) February 9, 2017

Moments after being arrested and released from Midtown South police station at around midnight, Oakley said that the Garden security asked him to leave because Dolan, who was seated just a few feet away, did not want him there.

“I was there for four minutes,” Oakley said late Wednesday night. “I didn’t say anything to him. I swear on my mother. They came over and wanted to know why I was sitting there. I bought the ticket. I said why do you guys keep staring at me. Then they asked me to leave. And I said I’m not leaving”

Sources at the Garden and NYPD dispute Oakley’s account of the altercation, saying the scuffle was provoked by the former Knick yelling at his longtime nemesis Dolan.

Oakley was asked by several members of Garden security to leave, and then was seen shoving the phalanx of security guards and appeared to take a swipe at one. He even handed his watch to someone seated next to him before being escorted out. 

The white-haired Oakley was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault by the NYPD, including criminal trespass. A source said that Oakley declined legal representation because he was only hit with a desk appearance ticket. He was released from the Midtown South precinct at around midnight by police and snuck out the back door and into a black SUV, avoiding the waiting press outside.

Still a fan favorite, Oakley has a contentious history with Dolan and has been excluded from invitations and tributes reserved for former players. Oakley claims the owner doesn't like his outspoken criticism of the team and that the team’s slogan — “Once a Knick, Always a Knick” — hasn’t applied to the former All-Star under Dolan's reign.

The Knicks probably could have used old Oak out on the floor. They lost again, 119-115.

NYPD hunting three men in Jets jerseys for wild St. Patty's Day brawl (VIDEO)

Three men wearing New York Jets jerseys are wanted for attacking two teens during a St. Patty’s Day brawl outside of a Midtown Manhattan pub before taking it on the lam.

The three men, wearing green and white Gang Green jerseys with the numbers 12, 87, and 23, got into a verbal argument inside of O’Brien’s Irish Bar and Restaurant on W. 46th St., according to officials from the NYPD. The arguments quickly turned violent in the street outside of the bar, as the two teenagers were punched and kickedby the attackers and beaten with bottles.

Pix11 reported reported that the two teens were transported to Bellevue Hospital with facial fractures after the pummeling.

NYPD released photos of the three attackers on Thursday.

One of the teens is left lying in the middle of the street after the attack, according to a video of the brawl, which was posted on Facebook by Anthony Rooar Decarlis.

B-E-E-R! Beer! Beer! Beer!

Did Carmelo Anthony get police escort to Madison Square Garden (VIDEO)

Carmelo Anthony, who's finding it hard to receive any help from the big shots in the Knicks front office, finally got an assist from one organization — or didn’t he? 

On Friday night, the Knicks star cruised through New York City traffic-free after appearing to receive an escort from the NYPD, reported TMZ.

Anthony — who is facing surgery on his sore left knee — posted an Instagram video after 6 p.m. Friday that shows his car trailing a vehicle with blaring sirens and lights. Both cars drive against 34th Street traffic while avoiding the chaos of All-Star Weekend as Melo makes his way to Madison Square Garden.

"Ain't nothing like a police escort, boy, in all this traffic," Melo says during the 17-second clip.

Nothing like a police escort in all this traffic. 🙏🙏🙏

A video posted by @carmeloanthony on Feb 13, 2015 at 3:54pm PST

However, a New York Police Department spokesman had not heard that Anthony received an NYPD escort.

“As a policy, we do not give police escorts through traffic for celebrities,” the spokesman said.

NYPD precinct compares Seahawks' dim-witted call to drunk driving

It's being mocked as the worst call in the history of the Super Bowl and apparently someone at an NYPD precinct thinks it is a good deterrent to other bad choices.

Seconds after Pete Carroll's astonishing decision to throw at the end of Super Bowl XLIX, someone inside the 34th Precinct tweeted “Drinking and driving is an even worse idea than throwing a pass from the one-yard line.”

“Call a cab if you need one,” added the  post from the precinct’s official Twitter account, which features a picture of the commanding officer, Deputy Inspector Chris Morello — who later confirmed that he wrote the public service announcement.

Drinking and driving is an even worse idea than throwing a pass from the one yard line. Call a cab if you need one. pic.twitter.com/6zFVNL3M9K
— NYPD 34th Precinct (@NYPD34Pct) February 2, 2015

Morello suggested he was drawing attention to two problems: drunk driving on Super Bowl Sunday and the questionable play call by the Seattle Seahawks as the team stood poised to win its second title in a row.

Malcolm Butler with the interception! The #Patriots will win their 4th #SuperBowl! https://t.co/bsQNFE8gHK
— Helobuff (@helobuff) February 2, 2015

And the precinct doesn't choose sides when doling out advice about poor decisions. On Saturday, the upper-Manhattan stationhouse tweeted:

“Don't let drinking & driving cause you to have a deflated #SuperBowl Sunday,” the precinct tweeted on Saturday, referencing the Patriots' football deflating scandal.

David Wright's awesome offer to sons of slain NYPD officer

David Wright knows all too well the anxiety that comes with being a police officer's son. The New York Mets third baseman is the son of a former Virginia policeman, and the tragic killing of two NYPD officers in Brooklyn last Saturday hit closer to home than most. 

Officer Rafael Ramos left behind sons Justin, 19, and Jaden, 13, when he was killed along with Officer Wenjian Liu while they sat in their marked police car in Brooklyn.

On Wednesday, Wright got in touch with both young men to offer support and invite them to hang out with the Mets next year. Via the Daily News:

The Mets star's compassion extended beyond the 15-minute call - he also offered Ramos' sons an opportunity to suit up with the Mets during spring training next spring.

The boys will even get the chance to join Wright and the other Mets players in the dugout for Grapefruit League games in Florida.

“He spoke to them for about 15-20 minutes, and I was told they were really excited to hear from him,” a source said of Wright's private phone call. “He said it was one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do, but he hoped it put a smile on their faces for a few minutes.”

Wright is frequently involved in charity events with both the NYPD and FDNY.

“With his background, he wanted to make sure it wasn’t seen as a trivial gesture,” the source said. “But they are Mets fans and really appreciated it.”

Ramos' sons, both of whom are still in school, will have their educations paid for by a foundation started by late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Giants' Steve Weatherford visits NYPD precinct to say thanks (PHOTO)

New York Giants punter Steve Weatherford says he was sick to his stomach to hear of the ambush killing of two NYPD officers this past weekend.

So on Tuesday, back from the team’s trip to St. Louis, Weatherford dropped in on the 18th Precinct in Midtown Manhattan to show his appreciation to the men and women who serve New York City.

Before heading to the Meadowlands for practice a "nervous" Weatherford, with his seven-year-old son Ace in tow, spent more than an hour with New York’s Finest.

“What they do for us on a daily basis, I know it doesn’t get enough credit,” Weatherford told the New York Daily News. “People don’t say ‘Thank you’ enough for the times that they don’t need the police because everything is under control and everybody is safe. It’s a very thankless job, and I just wanted to go there and really just tell them ‘Thank you for doing what you do for us, for putting your life in danger on a daily basis to afford us the safety and security so we can sleep peacefully at night,’ and ‘I appreciate everything that you do.’”

It was an honor to spend the morning with the #NYPD 18th precinct. Thank you for all you do. pic.twitter.com/PO4F2T0Z3x
— Steve Weatherford (@Weatherford5) December 23, 2014

Weatherford hoped his simple but significant gesture — along with head coach Tom Coughlin's subtle tribute during the game — helped show the NYPD that the two officers — Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu – won't be forgotten in Big Blue Nation.

And it sure looks like he did a Giant deed.

Yankees to pay for the education of murdered cop Rafael Ramos' children: Report

A New York Yankees charity will pay for the education of the sons of murdered NYPD cop Rafael Ramos, after their father was ambushed and gunned down in his patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday.

The Yankee Silver Shield Foundation, which provides for the children of officers who died in the line of duty, will take on any education expenses for 13-year-old Jaden and Ramos' other son who is in college.

The 40-year-old Ramos was murdered in the planned attack alongside his partner Wenjian Liu when Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley crept up behind their patrol car and shot them both in the head — before turning the gun on himself.

The 32-year-old Liu was recently married but did not have any children.

Former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner set up the Silver Shield Foundation in 1982 and since then it has paid for the education of thousands of children of fallen NYPD, FDNY, state police and Port Authority workers in the New York area.

It has also taken on the costs for the education of some 700 children who lost a parent in the terrorists attacks on September 11, 2001.

New York Yankees. Classy as usual.

Tom Coughlin wears subtle tributes to the slain NYPD officers (PHOTO)

Giants head coach Tom Coughlin honored the memory of the two New York Police Department officers slain on Saturday by wearing a black stripe on the left shoulder of his sweatshirt and a peace sign medallion pinned below the “NY’’ logo over his heart during Sunday's game against the Rams.

It was Coughlin's subtle tribute to officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos — who were killed in a murderous ambush yesterday afternoon.

Tom Coughlin wearing a black strip on left shoulder and peace sign under NY in honor of #NYPD officers Liu and Ramos pic.twitter.com/dMn6a1O1lw
— pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) December 21, 2014

In the past, Coughlin has worn hats with logos of the NYPD and FDNY to honor and acknowledge those who serve, but the Giants did not have any available to them on their road trip to St. Louis.

Jets hold moment of silence for two slain NYPD officers (PHOTO)

The New York Jets held a 10-second moment of silence before Sunday's game against the New England Patriots in honor of the two slain NYPD officers.

Jets center Nick Mangold wore a black NYPD cap and held it over his heart during the singing of the anthem at MetLife Stadium.

The officers were killed Saturday afternoon by a gunman who then killed himself. The gunman has posted online that he was specifically targeting police.

Later, Mangold seriously injured his ankle in the second quarter and was carted from the field.

Nick Mangold of New York Jets carted off field with ankle injury http://t.co/iDGyTXWvTE
— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) December 21, 2014

At least he got a chance to pay tribute before the game.

Sports world slowly sends condolences for two gunned down NYPD officers

Two NYPD cops were executed Saturday after a cowardly gang member from Baltimore trekked to Brooklyn to kill random police officers in a twisted bid to avenge the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown Saturday.

The vile shooter — identified as Ismaaiyl Brinsley— boasted about wanting to murder cops in the hours before he ambushed two officers outside a Bedford-Stuyvesant housing project.

Brinsley carried out his sinister mission by assassinating P.O. Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos while in the line of duty. Then the gutless murderer killed himself with a single bullet moments later.

"Officer Ramos and Officer Liu never had the opportunity to draw their weapons," said Police Commisioner William Bratton. "They may never have had the chance to see their murderer."

Thoughts & Prayers to our #NYPD brothers who gave the ultimate sacrifice-God Bless all NYPD Police Officers &families pic.twitter.com/dJbbOY5Etd
— NYPD 70th Precinct (@NYPD70Pct) December 20, 2014

After their angry tweets and high-profile, pre-game T-shirts memorialized the deaths of Brown and Garner while protesting the grand jury verdicts, let's see what NBA and NFL players and their organizations — especially the New York teams — do this weekend to pay respect to these slain police officers.

Here's various members of the sports world who didn't wait to send their condolences:

2 NYPD cops shot dead 'execution style' as 'revenge' for Garner via @NYPost God help us all. http://t.co/8XdUJaf5Kg
— Boomer Esiason (@7BOOMERESIASON) December 20, 2014

My condolences to the family & friends of the 2 NYPD officers that were killed today in Brooklyn. http://t.co/cadF4txmu4
— Jason Collins (@jasoncollins98) December 20, 2014

Thoughts and Prayers with the NYPD and their families tonight
— Mack Brown (@ESPN_CoachMack) December 21, 2014

Cop who absconded with $40,000 of Giants fans' Seattle road trip money found: Report

A despondent New York City cop who disappeared for two days after absconding with $40,000 fellow officers paid him for a road trip to see the Giants play the Seahawks in Seattle was finally found on Friday.

No one had seen or heard of NYPD officer Elisha Duncan and the cash since Wednesday, but cops patrolling his Bronx neighborhood found him in his car just before 8:30 p.m. Friday and apprehended the rogue cop, officials said.

The 14-year police veteran was originally spotted Wednesday at the Empire City Casino in nearby Yonkers — much to the dismay of his brother officers packing for the weekend trip.

Investigators turned up angry voicemails and threatening text messages from the officers duped into paying for a trip to Sunday’s road game between the Giants and the Super Bowl champions at CenturyLink Field after he had disappeared. The cost was $600 per cop, reported the N.Y. Daily News.

The 46-year-old Duncan was taken to a local hospital for observation, police said. It was not immediately clear where he had been — or if he still had the money his fellow officers had given him.

“We just found him. We haven’t interrogated him yet,” a police source said.

The Bronx cop wasn’t facing any criminal charges as of Friday night, cops said.

Cops theorized that the depressed Duncan, who reportedly has a checkered financial past, had gone on a gambling binge with the missing cash — or perhaps tried to hurt himself.

Two police sources said Duncan told relatives that he was depressed before he disappeared. 

Still, probably not as depressed as his former friends — and Giants fans — will be after Sunday's game.

Security guard beaten outside Yankee Stadium hockey game sues NYPD: Report

A security guard claims he was beaten up by hockey fans after a Stadium Series game outside Yankee Stadium while the NYPD iced their response time.

Eric MacFarlane says he suffered a fractured skull, a broken nose and other injuries during the brutal  beat-down after the Rangers-Islanders rivalry game on January 29 — and now he’s planning a $5 million suit against the city, reports the N.Y. Daily News.

MacFarlane was working for Securitas security company when he was posted outside of the Stadium on the frigid night. He and his partner were stationed in a converted Port-A-Potty with a space heater to keep warm.

The Daily News reported:

A drunken fan leaving the game who needed to use a toilet became irate when he opened the door to the john and saw it wasn’t a toilet.

The man and his pals all ganged up on MacFarlane, he said, and pummeled him on a police car.

MacFarlane said slow-moving cops didn’t come to his aid until after he’d been knocked unconscious. He said he told officers he needed medical help — and they took him to a security office inside the Stadium instead of to an ambulance positioned nearby.

MacFarlane’s lawyer Peter Gleason said the police, Securitas and the Yankees “didn’t provide even a minimal level of protection.” He filed a notice of claim, the first step in filing a lawsuit, last month.

A rep for the city Law Department said the filing would be reviewed thoroughly.

NYPD baseball team misses championship game after someone stole their gear: Report

Someone gave the steal sign at a baseball tournament championship game between a New York Police Department squad and a Dallas-area firefighters team and — unfortunately for the NYPD nine — it happened before the game even started.

The New York Finest Baseball Club, as the team is known, won two games Thursday to make the championship game. But when the players left their hotel in Dallas to go to the field for Friday's title game, they learned someone had broken into the team's mini-van and cleaned out most of their equipment and uniforms.

The late-night steal — from a rented van filled with bats, gloves, spikes and uniforms in the hours before the big game — sent the NYPD baseball team back to New York without a championship and most of their gear.

No suspects were arrested as the disappointed New Yorkers packed up their remaining possessions and prepared for their return trip.

“There will be no winner,” said retired city cop and team manager Jose Vasquez. “No title this year.”

The team arrived in Texas on Monday to play in the round-robin charity tournament and advanced to the 10 a.m. championship.

Vasquez said the players on the NYFBC discovered the theft about 90 minutes before the scheduled first pitch when they left the Marriott Suites in Dallas.

The 18-man team is self-funded with players paying for their own uniforms, equipment and travel.

Vasquez said his players pay top dollar for their equipment, including custom-made bats. Replacing the stolen items, he said, was not as simple “as walking into a Modell’s.”

It was only last month in Los Angeles when thieves made off with guns and badges from the locker room at a charity football game between the LAPD and San Diego PD teams.

Crooks are sure getting bold.

NYC cops and firemen in wild brawl during charity hockey game (VIDEO)

They may not have the playmaking skills of the NHL but,  when it comes to dropping the gloves on the ice, the pros have nothing on New York City's finest and bravest. That fact was apparent when a bench-clearing brawl broke out during a charity hockey game between New York City cops and firefighters on Sunday at Nassau Coliseum.

The wild scene erupted in the second period as referees struggled to control multiple, one-on-one battles. Sticks and gloves littered the ice during the disturbing incident.

It was 3-3 when the second-period violence broke out. The NYPD eventually beat their NYFD rivals 8-5.

The brawl led to a 25-minute delay as equipment was picked up and refs made long lists of penalized and ejected players.

Despite numerous black eyes and bruises, no players appeared to be seriously injured.

And at least there were enough first responders in the house if things got out of hand.



While the goalies just watched the mayhem.

NYC trainer bribes cop with free workout sessions to get out of bicycling ticket

A muscle-headed bicyclist was charged with bribery after he tried to backpedal his way out of a summons by offering a cop free-workout sessions to look the other way, law-enforcement sources said.

Wesley Fecu, 30, a personal trainer, was stopped for riding his mountain bike on the sidewalk on Church Street at Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn Saturday, the sources told The New York Post.

The workout warrior might have thought the officer — who was last listed at 118 pounds — needed some time in the weight room.

Fecu allegedly offered the cop gym services at one of the Synergy Fitness gyms if he were spared the summons.

“He could have got free personal-training sessions and a discount,” a law-enforcement source joked. “What a dummy.”

Fecu now faces misdemeanor bribery charges, in addition to the bike summons, the sources said.

Bicyclists have become the scourge of New York — especially since the city added thousands of rent-and-ride bike stations all over the place.  

A-Rod's Speeding Ticket Yanked By NYPD

A serious claim, made by sources involved in the New York Police Department's ongoing ticket-fixing scandal, accuses officers of burying a speeding ticket New York Yankees shortstop Alex Rodriguez got in 2009.

According to the New York Daily News, former-Yankees team owner George Steinbrenner was also a beneficiary of  mishandled summonses.

The NYPD ticket-fixing probe has widened in the past few weeks.  Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has extended the probe after the initial drug investigation concentrated on only one precinct but has now mushroomed into a wide-spread scandal.  It now involves over 100 cops and their superiors in various station houses.

Two sources said A-Rod was pulled over for hot-rodding on the West Side Highway around 57th Street two years ago.  He was issued a speeding ticket by a highway cop, but an NYPD sergeant had it disappear.