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DARIEN, Conn. A Morgan Stanley executive from Darien was charged with a hate crime after allegedly getting in a fight with a cab driver over a fare, police said. William Jennings, 45, of Knollwood Lane, was charged with second-degree assault, sixth-degree theft of service and intimidation by bias or bigotry.
The cab driver told police he picked Jennings up on the night of Dec. 21 in Manhattan and drove him to Darien. He told police that he and Jennings agreed on a rate of $204 before leaving New York.
At the end of the ride, Jennings refused to pay the agreed upon fare, police said. An argument ensued and the driver threatened to call the police.
The driver reported that Jennings used racial slurs during the argument, police said.
The driver said that he reversed out of the driveway with Jennings still in the taxi and attempted to call 911 but could not get service. He stated that he drove to the center of town in the hopes of finding a police officer.
While they were driving, Jennings allegedly pulled a small pen knife out of his pocket and stabbed the driver several times in the right hand through the partition, police said.
The driver later required stitches on his hand. When the driver pulled over to call 911, Jennings reportedly ran off, police said.
Police sad that Jennings did not attempt to contact the police department during the incident, but did contact them approximately two weeks later, and turned himself in on Wednesday. Jennings was released on a $9,500 bond and has a court date of March 9.
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