Last week, the Brooklyn Paper revealed that the latest victim of an armed man robbing people in Fort Greene claimed a local novelist as his latest victim, prompting the inevitable question: Which Brooklyn novelist could it be? Now, the cops have found the suspect—and the novelist has expressed his gratitude.
Police say that Darryl Meachem is responsible for at last six robberies since August, including robbing a CVS and jumping a man near the Fort Greene tennis courts. Arthur Phillips, whose recent novel The Tragedy of Arthur was called "splendidly devious" by the NY Times Book Review, had been playing with his sons near the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument on a Saturday afternoon (September 17) when Meachem allegedly demanded his money while flashing a weapon. Phillips set out his wallet and the thief took the cash but left everything else.
Phillips told the Brooklyn Paper he appreciated the 88th Precinct's hardwork but the incident was rattling, "It would be hard to go there and think I’m in any ordinary park" adding, "Maybe there is no such thing as any ordinary park. I just won’t go in there with the same happy-go-lucky insouciance."
