Queens, NY – A Brooklyn man is facing multiple felony charges after prosecutors say he chased a woman through Queens while wielding a hammer before forcing his way onto the grounds of a school, where he allegedly assaulted a child and a staff member.
According to the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, Shaleek Brunson, 42, was arraigned Friday on charges including five counts of second-degree assault, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, two counts of third-degree assault, second-degree menacing, endangering the welfare of a child, and third-degree criminal trespass.
Woman fled nearly a quarter mile to escape
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said the incident unfolded at approximately 11 a.m. Monday when Brunson allegedly approached a woman outside 90-02 Queens Boulevard in Elmhurst while carrying a hammer.
According to prosecutors, the woman ran for nearly a quarter mile as Brunson pursued her. She eventually sought refuge inside a fenced area at the Jewish Institute of Queens on Woodhaven Boulevard, but investigators said Brunson followed her onto the property.
“As alleged, this hammer-wielding defendant terrorized a woman walking down a Queens street, causing her to fear for her life and run nearly a quarter of a mile to get away from him and toward a local school,” Katz said.
Child injured, employee bitten during confrontation
Prosecutors allege Brunson forced his way into the fenced schoolyard, where he pushed an 8-year-old boy into a fence. The child’s head struck the fence, leaving him with a forehead laceration that required six stitches at a local hospital.
Investigators said Brunson then entered the school building and bit an employee on the hand. The employee restrained Brunson until officers from the NYPD’s 112th Precinct arrived and took him into custody. The employee was treated at a hospital for redness and substantial pain caused by the bite.
“This daytime assault shattered the sense of safety and security for everyone connected to this school and neighborhood,” Katz said. “I thank the brave first responders who apprehended this defendant before he could harm another person.”
Police recovered the hammer at the scene, according to the criminal complaint.
Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar ordered Brunson held without bail following his arraignment and scheduled his next court appearance for Aug. 3. If convicted on the top charge, prosecutors said he faces up to 14 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Danielle Catinella of the Queens District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau following an investigation by the NYPD’s 112th Precinct.
