EXCLUSIVE: MTA agent speaks out after violent attack on the job
Marshalee Reid held back tears in court Wednesday, as she came face to face with one of the women accused of attacking her June 28 at the New Lots Avenue subway station.
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Marshalee Reid held back tears in court Wednesday, as she came face to face with one of the women accused of attacking her June 28 at the New Lots Avenue subway station.
“They were punching me. They were kicking me,” Reid exclusively told News 12.
Police say 24-year-old Ayizhae Thomas and 25-year-old Lashea Aldride attacked Reid after she confronted them for not paying the fare.
“Miss Thomas, she’s the one who first assaulted me. She was the first one hitting me,” Reid said. “She flung me to the ground.”
Reid says she was still recovering from brain surgery, when she was attacked.
“I was knocked out for about 20 seconds,” she said.
Thomas was granted supervised after her arrest. She appeared in court with her 2-year-old son, who is seen in surveillance footage from the day of the incident.
On Wednesday, she pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child.
Reid, a mother of five, was joined in court by her teenage daughter and a group of fellow Transport Workers Union members.
“There will be justice for Miss Reid, or there will be hell to pay,” said TWU Vice President Robert Kelley outside the courtroom.
Prosecutors requested that Thomas be held on $30,000 bail, which is the same amount set for her co-defendant, Aldride, who is in custody.
But the judge denied that request, saying she believed Thomas was likely to return to court.
“We’re very disappointed in the judge’s decision,” Kelley said. “We have a mother who was assaulted for merely doing her job, and this individual walked free today.”
Shortly after her release, Thomas posted a video on social media claiming she had voluntarily turned herself in and criticizing the detective on her case. She declined to comment following her court appearance.
The judge issued a restraining order, but Reid said the trauma of the incident still lingers.
“Each time I’m alone and close my eyes, it keeps coming back… what happened that day,” Reid said.
“How can she ever go back to work and feel comfortable and safe?” Kelley added.
Thomas is due back in court in September. Reid is expected to return to court Wednesday for the arraignment of Aldride.
