Share this @internewscast.com

Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, completing a stunning reversal of fortune decades after he was wrongly imprisoned in an infamous rape case.

Salaam, a Democrat, will represent a central Harlem district on the City Council, having run unopposed for the seat in one of many local elections held across New York state Tuesday. He won his primary election in a landslide.

The victory comes more than two decades after DNA evidence was used to overturn the convictions of Salaam and four other Black and Latino men in the 1989 rape and beating of a white jogger in Central Park. Salaam was arrested at age 15 and imprisoned for almost seven years.

“For me, this means that we can really become our ancestors’ wildest dreams,” Salaam said in an interview before the election.

Salaam was arrested along with Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise and accused of attacking a woman running in Central Park. DNA evidence linked another man, a serial rapist, to the attack. The city ultimately agreed in a legal settlement to pay the exonerated men $41 million.

The crime dominated headlines in the city, inflaming racial tensions as police rounded up Black and Latino men and boys for interrogation. Former President Donald Trump, then just a brash real estate executive in the city, took out large ads in newspapers that implored New York to bring back the death penalty. 

When Trump was indicted in New York earlier this year on charges of falsifying business records, Salaam mocked him with his own ad on social media mimicking Trump’s original newspaper ad.

“Over 30 years ago, Donald Trump took out full page ads calling for my execution,” Salaam tweeted in April. “On the day he was arrested and arraigned, here is my ad in response.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Kansas City Chiefs fans’ deaths: Prosecutors seek tougher charges

Prosecutors Demand More Severe Charges in Deaths of Kansas City Chiefs Supporters

Prosecutors in Missouri are seeking to upgrade charges for two people arrested…
GOP leaders looking to expand enhanced Medicaid matching rate to woo Murkowski

Republican Leaders Aim to Secure Extended Medicaid Funding to Attract Support from Murkowski

Senate Republican leaders are in talks about a proposal to extend an…
Black and white photo of Sebastian, a 12-year-old boy.

Tragic Loss: Family Warns About Dangers of Online Challenges After 12-Year-Old’s Death

A 12-YEAR-OLD boy has died in a social media challenge, with his…
Trump's tax and spending bill nears passage as JD Vance arrives at Senate

Trump’s Tax and Spending Bill Approaches Approval with JD Vance Joining the Senate

Another day, another fight for Republicans trying to pass Trump’s tax bill…
Father leaps into ocean after daughter falls from Disney cruise ship deck: reports

Father jumps into ocean to rescue daughter who fell from Disney cruise ship: reports

A family vacation on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream took a frightening…
Update: Horrifying Details Emerge About Alleged Capital Jewish Museum Shooter and His Victims

Coeur d’Alene Suspect Revealed, Was ‘Without Apparent Criminal Background’ According to County Sheriff

Additional information is coming to light regarding the individual who allegedly lured…
Panthers manage to re-sign Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad after Stanley Cup triumph

Panthers Successfully Re-Sign Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad Following Stanley Cup Victory

The Panthers have re-signed two of their key pieces from their most…
How To Watch Wimbledon 2025

Your Guide to Watching Wimbledon 2025

Get ready, tennis enthusiasts: the 2025 Wimbledon Championships are now underway! With…
Barry Morphew extradited to Colorado to face murder charges in wife's 2020 disappearance

Barry Morphew Returned to Colorado to Stand Trial for Murder Charges in Connection with Wife’s Disappearance in 2020

Barry Morphew has been transported from Arizona back to Colorado following his…
Police cars at a crime scene near a pink clothing and shoe donation bin.

Tragic Incident: Woman Dies After Becoming Trapped in Clothing Donation Bin, Found Partially Protruding

A WOMAN tragically suffocated after becoming trapped in a donation bin, with…
Spinner shark hitting a surfer at New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Terrifying Encounter: Surfer Headbutted by a Flying Shark—Grateful It Didn’t Bite

THIS is the moment a surfer is headbutted by a flying shark…
Matthew Schaefer makes his Islanders intentions clear after NHL draft whirlwind

Matthew Schaefer Clarifies His Intentions with the Islanders Following a Frenzied NHL Draft

Approximately ten minutes after completing his inaugural practice with the Islanders, just…