The Black woman who was brutally beaten by a trio of men after visiting a Harlem liquor store recently spoke out following the arrest of one of her attackers.
The woman who uses the Instagram handle Taylor Mariie, expressed her gratitude over the public’s support leading to the arrest. Her post was first captured by The Shade Room.
“Words cannot express my extreme gratitude for everyone who assisted in helping apprehend this individual. Whether it was reposting, sharing etc…doing your own investigations. I am extremely grateful!” she wrote.
The individual was ID’ed as Tyrone Cooper, according to a tweet from NYPD Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison. Cooper was apprehended in Brooklyn after officers responded to an unrelated domestic violence call.
Harrison promised that detectives will work with the surrounding community to locate the remaining suspects and asked if anyone has information to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline.
The attack went viral nationally after gaining momentum in the region and spurred local community activists to rally around Taylor for support.
On Jan. 18, Taylor Marie, who originally requested to remain anonymous, was visiting a liquor store in West Harlem where she was approached by Cooper and two other individuals, offering to purchase her wine. When she politely refused the encounter turned violent, and the men followed her across the street where she was mauled, beaten, spit on and robbed of her iPhone.
“I just remember screaming to the top of my lungs, I just kept saying ‘He’s biting me! He’s biting me!” she told NBC New York. “He bit through my eyebrow and then he continued to just, he kept opening his mouth to try to like re-grasp.”
She sustained a serious eye injury which resulted in her receiving stitches.
Police released the surveillance video of Cooper pictured in a red jacket, with two other individuals, hoping that the visuals would lead to an arrest.
In her Instagram post on Monday Taylor Marie said she has renewed faith in the public after she felt unprotected when witnesses watched her attack without intervening. She also spoke on the dangers women face due to street harassment in their communities and how she found the strength to remain positive.
“Ladies never let anyone especially a coward of a man or a group of them dim your shine or steal your glow no matter what happens,” she wrote. “When you have a good heart your power will always be in how stay gracious and allow karma and God to do their thing! I’m healing well and continuing to appreciate life as it is…1 down 2 to go!”
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“I Am Extremely Grateful”: Black Woman Attacked Outside Harlem Liquor Store Speaks Out After Suspect’s Arrest was originally published on newsone.com
