A Muslim firefighter who collected $224,000 in a settlement from the city for alleged harassment — including being fed pork by fellow Bravest — threatened to “kill everyone in the firehouse” three times, new court records allege.
As previously reported, Raheem Hassan, 31, first made the threat on Dec. 20, 2017 to his then-supervisor, Lt. David Hughes, authorities say.
But Hughes did not call the cops. Instead, he alerted the FDNY’s Counseling Services Unit, according to papers filed by his lawyer.
“I don’t want him arrested. He needs psychological help,” Hughes insisted, according to his lawyer, Steven Rabinowitz.
Hassan “repeated the threat” to a counselor, the papers state. The counselor informed an FDNY Fire Marshal, who called the NYPD.
Hassan “then said it again to the police,” Rabinowitz states. A cop called Hughes, who related what Hassan had told him.
Hassan was charged with misdemeanor aggravated harassment, but the Staten Island District Attorney granted him a deal in which the charge was dismissed in six months.
In a federal lawsuit, Hassan accused fellow firefighters at Engine 309/Ladder 159 in Flatlands of cooking his food with pork and bacon grease — against his religious dietary rules. He also claimed they took photos of their genitals next to his face while he slept.
Hughes, accused by Hassan of falsely reporting the death threat, agreed to pay $1,000 to settle the case, but admitted no wrongdoing.
Hassan’s lawyer, Aymen Aboushi, said “my client never threatened to kill anyone and that false claim was perpetrated by others trying to cover up wrongdoing.”
Meanwhile, Hughes had filed a suit in state court to fight the city’s refusal to defend him in the federal case.
“Lt. Hughes did absolutely nothing wrong and acted properly,” said Jake Lemonda, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.On Jan. 2, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoran agreed, finding no evidence that Hughes had violated FDNY rules or was negligent, and ruled the city wrongly denied him legal representation.
The city will fight the decision. “We stand by our representation decision and intend to challenge the ruling,” said Law Department spokesman Nicholas Paolucci.