According to court documents, Norton Blake, a 43-year-old resident of the Bronx, stated that he was assisting 60-year-old Laurell Reynolds up the stairs at the West 116 Street and Lenox Avenue station in Harlem at approximately 3:20 a.m. on September 1st, when she suddenly “fell down the stairs”.
According to court documents, he alleged to the police that the woman of small stature had hurled his luggage down the stairs, tossed a can of soup at him, and managed to snatch his cane away from him before attempting to strike him with it.
According to reports, Blake reportedly stated to officers that he had broken his cane while hitting the turnstiles. He then proceeded to hit someone, not realizing that it was a woman. He admitted to hitting her multiple times on her thighs and legs.
According to the filing, he further stated that he had to resort to using his belt as a means of self-defense against Reynolds.
Blake was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of assault and one count of attempted assault for the brutal attack. The victim, Reynolds, was left hospitalized in Harlem for a period of two weeks following the incident, as reported by The New York Post.
During the arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday, prosecutors disclosed that the victim is currently recovering in a nursing facility. Meanwhile, Blake, who appeared in court while wincing and leaning on a cane, was indicted on charges related to the incident.
According to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Blake Norton resorted to unnecessary violence when he reportedly assaulted a subway rider multiple times.
According to reports, the assault was a grave and merciless one, as the victim was left helpless on the ground. The severity and excessiveness of the acts committed are truly alarming.
According to prosecutors, Blake is facing charges that could result in a prison sentence of at least three years, or up to 15 years if found guilty. However, Blake has pleaded not guilty to the charges. In a recent news article, he was reported to have gone on an “apocalyptic rant” during his perp walk, as detailed in The New York Post.
According to the records of the correctional center, he was detained at the Vernon C. Bain Correctional Center, which is a jail barge located on the southern shore of the Bronx, opposite Rikers Island, and his bail was set at $75,000 or $100,000 bond.
During court proceedings, Paul D’Emilia, the defense attorney for Blake, contended that his client’s actions were an attempt to assist Reynolds, who he believes may be struggling with mental health or drug-related problems.
During the hearing, D’Emilia informed the judge that there are certain facts that differ from our perception of what occurred.
As per his statement, the individual he represents is disabled. To add to this, he mentioned that Reynolds forcibly took the cane from his client and began hitting him with it. While there may be differing accounts of the incident, they can be addressed at a later time.
In his plea to the court, he requested the release of Blake before his trial citing the fact that Blake is struggling with anxiety and depression and is not receiving the necessary treatment.
According to reports, Justice Laura Ward has expressed her willingness to evaluate the possibility of putting Blake under electronically monitored home arrest. However, she has made it clear that she will only make a decision after thoroughly reviewing the grand jury’s notes.
According to a video acquired by The Post, he shouted at Reynolds while she cowered beneath him, “I was simply assisting you with your walker on the stairs, it happened to fall down!”
After all was said and done, he ended up hitting Reynolds multiple times.
According to Richard Davey, president of the New York City Transit Authority, the MTA employee who witnessed the incident promptly contacted the city’s Rail Control Center, which then informed 911. Throughout the ordeal, the worker carefully documented the situation.
According to sources, when the responding officers first interviewed Jacob Blake and his girlfriend, they received different accounts of the incident, leading them to release Blake initially.
The police eventually viewed the video, but it’s uncertain if they saw it before or after they allowed Blake to leave into the streets of Manhattan.
According to sources within the police department, an internal investigation is currently underway regarding their response to the situation.
A few days later, Blake was apprehended by the NYPD’s warrant squad.
According to the prosecutors, he has been convicted of eight misdemeanors and has also failed to appear in court once.
