Morgan Stanley banker charged with hate crime A senior banker at Morgan Stanley has been placed on leave and charged with a hate crime, after allegedly attacking a New York City cab driver with a pen knife. William Bryan Jennings is co-head of fixed-income capital markets in the Americas for Morgan Stanley, having joined the bank in 1993. A company spokesman said the banker had been placed on leave. Co-head of fixed-income capital markets, Leo Civitillo, is now in charge of the unit. Police on Wednesday charged Mr Jennings with second-degree assault, theft of services and second-degree intimidation based on race or bigotry, after a December taxi ride from Manhattan. Mr Jennings denied the allegations through his lawyer and said he was a victim in the incident. The taxi driver, of Middle Eastern descent, told police that Mr Jennings had refused to pay a $200 fare following the late-night cab ride from New York to the banker's home in Connecticut. Mr Jennings then became abusive and made racial slurs, the driver said. "An argument ensued and at some point threats were exchanged and Mr Jennings pulled a pocket knife," said detective Mark Cappelli, from the police force in Darien, Connecticut. The cab driver put his hand up to protect himself, he told police, and received cuts to his hand. Mr Eugene Riccio, Mr Jennings" lawyer, said that the cab driver "attempted to get an exorbitant amount of compensation for that ride." When Mr Jennings refused the fare, the driver then attempted to drive him back to New York, the lawyer said. Mr Jennings pulled out his pen knife "to try to reinforce his demands" that the driver stop. "He was a victim of abduction," said Mr Riccio, adding that Mr Jennings "absolutely denies any racial slurs" were made. Mr Jennings was released from police custody after paying a $9,500 bail. He is due to appear in court on March 9.