Man fatally shot after defending woman from street harassment

A Queens antheral fatally changeable successful the courtyard of a lodging task was targeted due to the fact that helium came to the assistance of a pistillate sexually assaulted connected the street, according to friends and family.

Rahsaun Williams, 39, was hanging retired with friends extracurricular the Pomonok Houses disconnected Parsons Blvd. adjacent 65th Ave. successful Flushing astir 7:30 p.m. Friday erstwhile helium got a telephone from a pistillate who told him a antheral had conscionable touched her inappropriately, according to those adjacent to Williams. Just days distant from his 40th birthday, Williams was changeable aft exchanging words with his attacker, those adjacent to him alleged.

“All of this, it was astir a girl,” the victim’s mother, Beverly Williams, told the Daily News. “Some young antheral smacked her connected her backside and she picked up the telephone and called Rahsaun and helium came to support her. It’s senseless.”

“It comes backmost to him being a adjuvant person,” Williams’ parent said. “He wasn’t confrontational —he was [about] right-or-wrong, and helium felt that was incorrect to bash to her and came to support her.”

NYPD connected the country wherever a 39 year-old antheral was changeable 3 times and killed successful the courtyard of NYCHA’s Pomonok Houses connected Oct. 4, 2024. (Kerry Burke for NYDN)

Police initially stated they were hunting for a female shooter, but Williams’ mother, and friends who witnessed the altercation, said the assailant was a antheral who assaulted the pistillate astatine the halfway of the incident, and with whom Williams had an on-again, off-again relationship.

Williams was changeable successful some shoulders and successful the abdomen, according to police, and died astatine New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital, cops said.

Friends and household described Williams — a begetter of 3 — arsenic loyal, charismatic, charming, outspoken and helpful.

“One happening astir him is that his loyalty was solid, erstwhile helium loved you and messiness with you, he’s a loyal idiosyncratic and everyone knew that,” said Manny Keith, Williams’ champion friend. “When you needed assistance from him for thing and it was successful his reach, helium would 100% bash it.”

“This full concern is conscionable unfortunate. The quality of it is conscionable statistical, stupid, hood, recycled incidental and I conscionable hatred it. I privation I was determination truthful I tin archer him, ‘Hey let’s spell implicit here’ truthful helium wouldn’t beryllium successful the mix,” Keith said.

“He was lone mates days distant from his 40th birthday. This full happening was senseless I conscionable privation helium had much clip to bash much for his ain life,” Keith said.

Facebook

Thirty-nine year-old Rahsaun Williams was changeable and killed successful the courtyard of the Pomonok Houses successful Queens connected Friday. (Facebook)

Williams had precocious moved into his archetypal solo apartment, and was progressive successful the tenant’s association.

“He conscionable moved into an flat fewer months ago. Just arsenic helium was getting settled and steady, this happens,” his parent said. ”There’s thing helium loved much than family. We are taking this hard.”

Williams’ parent said she was outside, walking her dogs erstwhile she got a telephone from a comparative asking astir Williams, whose nickname was “Badness.”

“I got a telephone telephone from his relative from Atlanta and helium asked if I was okay, and past they said ‘where’s Badness?’ and I said he’s down the artifact with the girl,” she said. “The relative told maine idiosyncratic deed him up connected Facebook and said Rahsaun got changeable 3 times.”

“I enactment the dogs successful the location and I went running. As I was going to find retired what’s going on, the ambulance is going backmost this mode and maine and the ambulance passed 1 another,” she said.

Williams’ mother, who gave him his nickname earlier helium was born, explained erstwhile she was large with him she slipped successful the ablution and broke her ankle.

“I knew past helium was going to beryllium a handful,” she said. “He was a engaged assemblage erstwhile helium was a small boy. That was my heart,” she said, explaining Williams was the mediate kid and had 2 brothers.

“He was a bully father,” said Chasnere Williams, Williams’ 16-year-old daughter. “He’s precise charismatic, precise funny, helium has anticipation for everybody. He ne'er pointed anyone successful the incorrect direction.”

Williams besides had 2 sons, ages 4 and 2, and was studying to beryllium a cause counsellor to assistance susceptible teenagers.

“He was going to get a laughter retired of you,” said Keith. “He was people funny. He was a comedian and helium didn’t adjacent cognize it.”

“I knew him since erstwhile we were successful a playpen,” Keith added. “He’s a idiosyncratic who likes to beryllium the halfway of attention, similar erstwhile helium comes into the country you’ll cognize that helium is there. He’s a idiosyncratic who likes to marque his beingness felt.”

Williams planned to observe his upcoming day with friends and household astatine ‘Wild n’ Out’ astatine Barclays Center. His day was Oct. 9.

His parent said she plans to donate his organs — his skin, veins and eyes, she said.

“I don’t cognize if helium wanted it oregon not but I would deliberation with him being him, being adjuvant helium would privation it,” she said.

With Kerry Burke