Hawk Newsome, founder of NY Black Lives Matter, arrested for attempted assault for protest clash
Hawk Newsome, the outspoken founder of New York Black Lives Matter, surrounded NYPD cops on Monday and was charged with attempted assault following accusations that he threw a bullhorn at a Manhattan precinct chief.
Newsome, 48, led a rally Thursday morning outside the state office building on W. 125th St. in Harlem to protest funding for a nonprofit run by a woman he knows, according to his sister, New York BLM co-founder Chivona Newsome.
During the protest, Chivona Newsome said, Councilman Yusef Salaam’s mother identified herself with Hawk and tried to lunge at him, while Manhattan District Manager William Allen, 66, then grabbed Hawk’s wrist.
Her brother then threw the megaphone “out of frustration but not at Allen,” the sister said.
Barry Williams/New York Daily News
Hawk Newsome speaks to the media Monday outside the 28th Precinct police station before turning himself in for attempted assault. (Barry Williams/New York Daily News)
But police believe Hawk was trying to hit Allen with the bullhorn when he threw it.
Cellphone video obtained by Daily News shows a loud argument and what looks like Hawk throwing a punch — one moment, cops say, actually shows him throwing the bullhorn.
“This is political persecution,” Hawk said as cops took him to Manhattan Criminal Court.
Hawk, whose real name is Walter, claims he is being persecuted because he complained about Salaam not speaking out more against police brutality.
