NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY: In a shocking incident in NYC, cops have allowed the suspect accused of brutally assaulting a 60-year-old woman with her own cane will walk free.
The suspect, Norton Blake, aged 43, has been identified by the NYPD as the sole individual responsible for the assault on Laurell Reynolds, which took place early Friday, September 1 inside a Harlem subway station.
NYPD under scrutiny for not arresting Norton Blake
During their initial questioning of Blake, the officers made the decision not to arrest him, citing conflicting accounts of the attack provided by both Blake and Reynolds, New York Post reports.
This decision has now come under scrutiny, with sources indicating that an investigation is underway to assess the handling of the situation by the officers involved.
When contacted for a statement, an NYPD spokesperson declined to comment, Daily Mail reports.
The victim, Laurell Reynolds, who relies on a walker, expressed her dismay during an interview conducted from her bedside.
She said, "They should've arrested him! I don't deserve that. Not at all, not at all … and I pray to God that it happens to no one else. They need to keep that man off the street."
It remains unclear whether the police had reviewed bystander footage of the attack before or after deciding to release Blake.
The video was captured by a transit worker who immediately contacted the city's Rail Control Center, which then notified 911 while documenting the horrifying incident.
At a press conference held on Tuesday, September 5, NYPD Chief of Transit Michael Kemper identified Norton Blake as the primary suspect in the assault.
However, as of Tuesday night, Blake remained at large, according to a law enforcement source cited by DailyMail.com.
Laurell Reynolds attack video goes viral
Within days of the attack, a two-minute clip of the assault went viral, prompting a widespread search for the individual seen in the footage, who managed to flee the scene before the arrival of the police.
The attack took place shortly before 3.30 am on Friday as Laurell Reynolds, who resides in the Bronx, was navigating the subway station located at West 116th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem.
Reynolds' daughter, Lashanne Reese, also from the Bronx, learned of the assault only after seeing the video online.
She expressed her distress, stating, "Now I know... I'm hurt - it hurts. That man could've killed my mother." Reynolds is currently hospitalized and believed to be in stable condition.
Reese voiced her dissatisfaction with the lack of intervention from bystanders, saying, "You all did nothing. I have a problem with that."
Norton Blake has a history of prior arrests, including charges related to drug possession, assault, trespassing, resisting arrest, evidence tampering, and possessing stolen property.
Sources within law enforcement also revealed that Blake had assaulted NYPD officers on two separate occasions—one in 2017 while resisting arrest and another in 2003 when he punched an off-duty officer in the face.
NYPD Chief of Transit comments on Laurell Reynolds attack
As for the circumstances of the attack, Police Chief Michael Kemper said it initially appeared to be an argument between Blake and Reynolds that may have had to do with something that had been dropped.
However, it remains unclear if the two individuals knew each other beforehand.
"We're looking for him, and I'm pretty confident that in short order, he will be arrested and charged for that assault," Kemper reassured the press once he disclosed that Blake was the only person considered a suspect in the case.
The altercation escalated into one of the most brutal attacks witnessed in the subway system in recent memory, with Blake allegedly striking Reynolds multiple times in the head, stomach, leg, arms, back, and hands, even taking her walking stick.
"A witness [said] they were arguing over something that might have dropped," Kemper said, it was stated that it remained unclear whether the two had any prior connection.
"He might have been helping her carry something up the steps and something might have dropped, causing them to argue," he theorized.
Laurell Reynolds' daughter expresses concerns over crime in NYC
Lashanne Reese expressed her confusion about why her mother was in Harlem at the time of the attack and lamented the lack of community intervention, stating, "We're supposed to be a loving, caring community.
"It's unity in the community – if we put unity in, we get a whole community. For them not to do that … this is why it's going on everywhere," she added.
She tearfully asserted that Blake should not be on the streets, emphasizing the urgent need for him to receive help and expressing her fear for public safety.
Crime on the subway is a major problem in NYC, and although statistics indicate a slight decrease in crime on the subway, even Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has expressed concern about subway safety.
In a recent interview, he said that despite the statistics, he still worries when his family members use the subway and acknowledged that continued efforts are needed to improve safety on the mass transit system, reports Fox News.
According to city statistics, major crime in the subway system decreased by 9.9 per cent in July compared to the previous year.
