Neither the SEC nor FINRA had anything to do with the downfall of this high-ranking Morgan Stanley banker, who has been put on leave.  Instead, it was the Darien, CT, police department, that charged William Bryan Jennings, 47, with bias-motivated intimidation and assault in a case involving a late-night taxi ride.  [C-I Note: Yet, another reason to recommend public transportation, wherever and whenever possible.] Mr. Jennings was charged with 2nd-degree assault, theft of services and intimidation by bias or bigotry for allegedly stabbing a Middle Eastern cab driver in December and making racially charged statements.  A Morgan Stanley spokesperson confirmed the charges and Jennings' leave of absence. Further Alleged Details. Jennings, who co-heads the Americas fixed income and capital markets at Morgan Stanley, allegedly refused to pay a $200 cab fare for a ride back to his home in Darien from a charity event in New York in the early hours of 12/22/11 - an incident written up in The Stamford Advocate.  The Advocate further reported that Jennings reportedly balked at the fare, using racial slurs and threatening the driver, then stabbed the driver’s hand with a pen knife when the driver reached through a partition into the back seat. An Abduction!? A lawyer for claims his client was "the subject of an abduction."  Eugene Riccio says the cab driver demanded $300 for the cab ride, then sped away with Mr. Jennings in tow after the banker refused to pay the higher fare.  Mr. Riccio said that Mr. Jennings had fearfully produced a “pen knife he uses for fishing” and asked to be released from the car.  The cab driver tried to grab the knife and was cut, Mr. Riccio told the paper, at which point Mr. Jennings was able to escape. According to his 2001 New York Times wedding announcement, Mr. Jennings is a Williams College graduate and holds an MBA from Northwestern.  He's free after having posted $9,500 bail, according to the newspaper. [Dealbook, 3/2/12]