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By Matthew Russell Lee

SDNY COURTHOUSE, May 20 – When Hassan Romeo was approached by an NYPD officer in a squad car on Ogden Avenue and West 166th Street in The Bronx, he tried to hide a handgun in the wheel well of a car and run away,  the officer testified on May 15 before a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York courtroom of Judge Jed S. Rakoff.

 On the morning of May 20, the Federal Defenders gave their summation of why the jury should find Hassan Romeo not guilty: of course he fled from the police, since they did not identify themselves. He was hardly hiding for three months: he held a baby shower with a flyer and 100 guests. He was wearing a Jamaican flag hat with fake dread locks between he was selling marijuana - but that does not mean the gun on Ogden Avenue was his.

  Summit Deli witness Ali Alsaedi's testimony he didn't see Romeo from September 2 to December 5, 2018 was meaningless - how would he remember? But LuJuanne Hall remembers seeing him all the time in Highbridge. The case went to the jury, and Inner City Press will follow it.

 Back on May 16, Federal Defenders began grilling his recounting of the story. Why had he not taken more photos of the car he says the run was found in the wheel well of? (License plate JBJ 7877) Why didn't he call Crime Scene to take the photos? (Answer: "Crime Scene does crimes scenes," very Samuel Beckett).

 Why did he not turn his body camera on, once the incident involved a gun? Why didn't his partner Danny take more photos? Answer: you'll have to ask him.

And he, Daniel Maria, took the stand on the afternoon of May 16, along his cross examination was put off until May 17. He identified himself on the videos from 1133 Ogden Avenue, in jeans unlike his partner in mid-calf cargo pants. He has been with the 44th Precinct for more than five and a half years. Is he credible as an undercover cop? What about his losing case before the CCRP, for having searched a woman's bag? He told the jury he thought a women was faking a seizure. Inner City Press will continue to cover this case.

  Since Romeo had a previous conviction in 2003 for Robbery in the Second Degree, in violation of New York Penal Law Section 160.10, he was a so-called felon in possession - in this case, of a Ruger LCP .380 handgun.

 But he had not pled guilty. Represented by Federal Defenders, Romeo asked Judge Rakoff to be allowed to inquire into the CCRB records of the officers and detectives involved, and to preclude the showing of a video from June 2018.

  While the PACER docket for the case, 19-cr-13, has a list of exhibits, as to the witness list it tells the Press "You do not have permission to view this document." Likewise the link to the transcript of Romeo's presentation is merely a "Notice of Filing of Official Transcript," even when viewed on the terminals in the courthouse. We'll have more on this.