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Norman ReedusandHelena Christensen’s 22-year-old son appeared in court on Tuesday after beingarrested in Septemberfor allegedly assaulting a woman in New York City.
Mingus Reedusis charged with misdemeanor assault for the Sept. 24 incident, the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) previously confirmed to PEOPLE.
It’s unclear if Mingus entered a plea during his court hearing on Tuesday. A trial date has been set for Jan. 5, according to theNew York Postand theDaily Mail.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Mingus' attorney Isabelle Kirshner said: “The charges are baseless and will be met with a rigorous defense. He was the victim is this incident.”
Representatives for Norman and Christensen, both 52, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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There, a 24-year-old woman — whose identity has not been revealed — told police that she had a verbal confrontation with an unknown male, who was later identified as Mingus, authorities allege.
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The woman said that he punched her in the face, and police reported that she obtained an injury below her left eye. Per authorities, she was taken to New York’s Downtown Hospital where she was in stable condition.
After the incident, Mingus spoke withThe New York Daily News, where he alleged that the woman and her friends came after him and his friends while they were attending the San Gennaro festival in New York City’s Little Italy district.
Detailing to the outlet that the woman appeared to be drunk, Mingus said she and her friends went after him when he “threw his arm out” to protect himself, accidentally hitting the woman. “It was instinct,” he explained. “I was reacting to them swarming me and was afraid for the safety of my group.”
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“We didn’t think anything of it, but these five girls followed us for two blocks, throwing food at us and yelling. We told them to leave us alone, but they kept following, threatening to hurt my girlfriend and her friend,” Mingus continued. “It was very apparent that these girls were under the influence and looking for a fight.”
When Mingus and his group arrived at a corner, the model alleged that the girls “swarmed” him, with “one pulling my hair from the back, another throwing water in my face.” He reiterated that he put his arm out to protect himself, noting that police then quickly got involved. There, he said authorities saw one of the girls was hurt and “refused to listen to the context.”
source: people.com
