Hawk Newsome, the outspoken founder of New York Black Lives Matter, surrendered to NYPD cops Monday and was charged with attempted assault over accusations he flung a bullhorn at a Manhattan district leader.
Newsome, 48, last Thursday morning led a rally outside the state office building on W.125th St. in Harlem to protest the defunding of a non-profit run by a woman he knows, according to his sister, New York BLM co-founder Chivona Newsome.
During the protest, Chivona Newsome said, the mother of City Councilman Yusef Salaam identified herself to Hawk and tried to fall on him, with Manhattan District Leader William Allen, 66, then grabbing Hawk’s wrist.
Her brother then threw the bullhorn “out of frustration but not at Allen,” the sister claimed.
“As soon as I start speaking, this woman starts screaming, ‘I’m Yuseef Salaam’s mother’ and she starts flailing. At first I said ‘Oh God’ and then I said ‘ma’am’ five times and I try to talk,” Hawk Newsome told the Daily News, alleging: “His mother tried to stop us from exercising our first amendment right and speaking out in front of the office.”
Hawk Newsome believed the incident was a set up for him to engage Salaam’s mother.
“They knew we were coming out there. This was a plan to jam me out and silence me,” he charged. “I am 6’5″, 354 pounds. If I punched him in the chest he would be in a cardiac arrest. I’m huge.”
Barry Williams/ New York Daily News
Hawk Newsome speaks to the media outside the 28th Precinct stationhouse on Monday before turning himself in on attempted assault charges. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
But police believe Hawk was trying to hit Allen with the bullhorn when he threw it.
Cell phone video obtained by Daily News shows a loud argument and what looks like Hawk throwing a punch — a moment cops say actually shows him throwing the bullhorn.
“This is a political persecution,” Hawk said as cops lead him into Manhattan Criminal Court.
Hawk said he willingly surrendered Monday morning when the NYPD warrant squad called his lawyer on Friday and negotiated his surrender.
“I accept the arrest and I see so far past these charges, I see political fear. I see black people who criticize the justice system using that same system to attack another black man and that is deplorable,” Hawk said.
Hawk was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court Monday night and was released on his own recognizance.
“I sat in that cell and prayed, I just prayed. This inspires me, with this whole instance makes me see that Harlem and black America needs new leadership and it doesn’t have to be me but I want to be a part of the coalition,” he said.
Hawk, whose real first name is Walter, claims he is being persecuted because he has complained that Salaam has not spoken out more against police brutality.
“My angle was Eric Adams brought back stop-and-frisk and it’s this rampant police brutality and he didn’t say anything,” Hawk said of Salaam. “I spoke to him a year ago and said, ‘brother you have to step up, you’re Central Park five, you got to step up’.”
His next court date was scheduled for Jan. 21.
“I just want to send a message to Harlem and everyone black in New York its okay for black people to speak out against one another’s politics, you should never call the police or try to harm another black person for spreading a message. The important thing is don’t shoot the messenger,” he said.