Tanya Young Williams, a Black shop owner, recounted that a man wearing a Donald Trump T-shirt spat on her after she displayed a Kamala Harris sign in her window.
The incident allegedly occurred at Williams’ New York City clothing boutique. Expecting that her decision to display the Democratic presidential candidate’s poster would bring smiles to her Manhattan neighbors, she was instead met with hostility.
In an interview with ABC News, Williams explained that the man, unhappy with the poster, yelled at her, spat in her face, and pushed her outside her shop.
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Williams, the owner of Tanya’s Luxury Fashion Boutique on the Upper West Side and a former cast member of VH1’s “Basketball Wives,” told the outlet that the man wore a Trump T-shirt.
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A spokesperson for the New York Police Department revealed that the incident is being investigated as a third-degree assault – a Class A misdemeanor. Although it is not currently being treated as a hate crime, the spokesperson noted that it could be reclassified depending on the evidence uncovered.
Williams recalled standing in the doorway of her store around 1:30 p.m. ET on August 30 when the man, who has not yet been identified, walked by, then returned after noticing the large poster of the Democratic candidate, along with T-shirts supporting Harris’ campaign.
“He said, ‘You should have this in your window,’” Williams said, referring to the man pointing to his Trump T-shirt. “I moved toward him to keep him out of the store and said, ‘I’m supporting Kamala.’”
Williams, who opened her store in February, initially thought engaging the man in friendly banter about the campaign would be the right approach. However, tensions escalated when the man began explaining why he believed she and other Black voters should support Donald Trump.
“I realized there was no point in continuing the conversation because there was no dialogue to be had,” Williams said. “When I refused to engage, he spat toward me.”
Afterward, she faced a decision. “At that moment, I had a choice: Should I knock him out, which I could have, or do I try to get hold of him and call the police?” she said.
The man allegedly spat at her again, this time in her face. Williams said she grabbed him by the shoulders and told onlookers to call the police.
According to Williams, when she became distracted, the man pushed her, causing her to injure herself when the back of her head struck her shop’s door.
As the man backed away, Williams managed to rip off a piece of his shirt, which had a button reading “We stand with Israel.” She showed the torn fabric and button to ABC News, and later to police officers who arrived after 911 was called.
“This is not OK. I need him to be held accountable,” Williams said. “People must understand that you cannot attack, spit on, or violate someone’s space simply because you disagree with their position.”
Williams also claimed the man yelled racial slurs at her during the encounter.
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However, ABC News reported that an NYPD source said Williams did not initially tell police about the racial slurs. Detectives have reportedly reached out to her several times for further interviews, but she has not responded.
Williams, the mother of two daughters and the ex-wife of former NBA star Jayson Williams, who pled guilty to aggravated assault in the 2002 accidental shooting of a limousine driver, is cooperating with the police investigation. Officers are still searching for video evidence of the incident and seeking witnesses.
No arrests have been made, and the alleged perpetrator has not yet been identified.
Despite the ordeal, Williams remains firm about her support for Harris. When asked if she had considered removing the poster from her window, she replied, “There’s no possibility that the poster will come down.”
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