Dallas police filed a charge of felony criminal mischief against L'Daijohnique Lee, 24, for damaging the man's pickup truck after she was punched. DALLAS — The woman who was recently beaten by a man in a Deep Ellum parking lot has now also been charged in the case. Dallas police charged L'Daijohnique Lee, 24, Tuesday with felony criminal mischief for damaging the man's pickup truck after she was punched, police officials confirmed in a news conference. Deputy Chief Thomas Castro said Lee admitted to causing the damage, which was estimated to be just more than $3,000. In Texas, criminal mischief is a state jail felony if the damage costs $2,500 to $30,000. Lee's attorney, Lee Merritt, posted about the potential criminal mischief charge on Twitter: "A black woman alone in a dark parking lot is stalked, harassed and assaulted by a white male," Merritt posted. "He brandishes a gun, knocks away her phone when she tries to call for help – then beats her mercilessly with blows to the head. DPD just found a way to charge HER with a felony." "We understand that some people are upset," Castro said at the news conference. "It's not the intention of the Dallas Police Department to pick one side or the other. We simply had information that was provided to us on a criminal offense. We thoroughly investigated that offense. We took the action that was taken today." When asked about potential protests in response to the charge against Lee – her supporters protested last week after Shuffield was only initially charged with a misdemeanor – Castro said, "We hope that they do so peacefully." "We encourage people their First Amendment right, and afford them that right to protest," Castro said. In a statement, the Dallas County district attorney's office said it found out about the arrest warrant for Lee from the media and had no prior knowledge of the charge. "When and if charges reach the District Attorney's Office, we will take appropriate action," the statement said. Shuffield, 30, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a weapon. In the arrest affidavit for Shuffield, he said Lee broke his pickup truck's back windshield with a jump box, a charger for a car battery. The case has drawn widespread attention since a video was posted on Facebook of Lee being punched repeatedly. Investigators said it all started when Shuffield confronted Lee about blocking the parking lot exit with her car. A witness recorded video that showed the suspect pull out a gun before knocking Lee's cellphone from her hand and kicking it away. He then delivered a series of upper-cut punches and jabs to the woman’s face and head. Shuffield, according to his arrest affidavit, said he hit Lee out of self-defense because she hit him first. After the initial misdemeanor charge against Shuffield, police upgraded the charges to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony, and unlawfully carrying a weapon. In Shuffield's case, Dallas police sent their filed charges to the district attorney's office, which will present the case to a grand jury. PROTESTS EXPECTED Days after Lee was punched multiple times and Shuffield was arrested, a small amount of protesters took to the streets of Deep Ellum. When WFAA reported that Lee would soon be facing a felony charge, Dominique Alexander, an activist and founder of the Next Generation Action Network, said more protests would come. On Twitter, Alexander said, "If this happens, we will shut down the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. #ENOUGHISENOUGH" The Deep Ellum Arts Festival draws thousands every year to its diverse neighborhood and closes around 8 city blocks nearby. An estimated 100 bands are scheduled to play, around 200 artists will be displaying work, and the festival will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. "Dallas Police always finds a way to make a victim a suspect," Dominique Alexander said. "I know that the community will be outraged, and the community will protest." "The leadership in Deep Ellum has not condemned racism and bigotry and violence against black women in their corridor." Stephen Millard, the founder of the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, said that the free event is all about inclusion, but added that it would be a shame if it were disrupted in any way. "This is a big year for us. 25 years in this iconic town has been wonderful," Millard said. "This is not a place for protest, this is a place of love. If people want to come and have a platform--then we'll work with them if they have something they want to express in a peaceful way."<doc-sep>DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The victim of a Deep Ellum assault now faces a charge of felony criminal mischief in connection to the case. The charge stems from damage, police said L’Daijohnique Lee, 24, made on her attacker — Austin Shuffield’s — truck. He told police after the altercation, Lee broke out his back windshield with a jump box. “She admitted to committing that offense that night,” said Deputy Chief Thomas Castro. The Dallas County Criminal District Attorney’s Office said they found out late Tuesday afternoon, from media inquiries, that the Dallas Police Department issued a warrant for Lee’s arrest. “The District Attorney had no prior knowledge that an arrest warrant was issued. When and if charges reach the District Attorney’s Office, we will take appropriate action,” their statement read. Lee’s attorney, Lee Merritt told CBS 11 News, “She’s very angry that despite the context of her being the victim in a viscous assault, the Dallas police department are pursuing a charge against her anyway.” In Texas, criminal mischief is a state jail felony if the damage costs more than $1,500 to $30,000. Witnesses watched in horror as Shuffield attacked Lee last month. Lee told police it all started after she pulled into a parking lot near Elm and Crowdus Streets and blocked Shuffield in as he was trying to leave. That’s when Shuffield, 30, got out of his truck to ask her to move out of his way because she was blocking the parking lot exit. When he approached, a dispute followed, which witnesses saw and recorded. The video shows Shuffield and Lee in the heated argument. At one point, Shuffield pulls out what appears to be a gun and holds it behind his back. After more words are exchanged, he smacks Lee’s cell phone out of her hand as she was dialing 911. She reacts by punching him. Shuffield responds by reaching back, taking a boxer’s stance and punching Lee squarely in the jaw. The video shows Shuffield then hitting her violently four more times in the face and head. Lee was crouched over, cradling her head as Shuffield beat her. Shuffield then kicks her cell phone violently on the ground. Police were called an arrested Shuffield for aggravated assault causing injury, interference with an emergency call and public intoxication.<doc-sep>After filing additional felony charges against the alleged assailant in the brutal assault of a Deep Ellum woman that was captured on video, Dallas police recommended that the victim be charged. WFAA reports that the victim, L’Daijohnique Lee, faces charges stemming from the “thousands of dollars” of damage she allegedly caused to a truck belonging to the alleged assailant Austin Shuffield after she was punched. Criminal mischief is a state jail felony if the damage costs over $1,500 to $20,000, according to CBS DFW. One day after an arrest warrant was issued for Lee, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute Lee on the criminal mischief charge. According to WFAA reporter Rebecca Lopez, the arrest warrant was “recalled” on Wednesday afternoon. Breaking news: The arrest warrant on L’Daijohnique Lee was recalled because the case was declined for prosecution. — Rebecca Lopez (@rlopezwfaa) April 3, 2019 Shuffield, formerly a bartender at Deep Ellum’s High and Tight Barbershop, originally had been charged with public intoxication, interference with an emergency call, and assault, all misdemeanors — and that decision that sparked protests in Deep Ellum calling for harsher charges against Shuffield. Last Friday, he was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a weapon. Lee’s attorney Lee Merritt wrote on Twitter: “A black woman alone in a dark parking lot is stalked, harassed and assaulted by a white male. He brandishes a gun, knocks away her phone when she tries to call for help— then beats her mercilessly with blows to the head. DPD just found a way to charge HER with a felony.” Police say that the violence began when Shuffield confronted Lee about where her car was parked.<doc-sep>A bystander video captured what happened next. Shuffield, who is white, clutches a pistol at his side and steps toward Lee, who is black. She pulls out her phone to dial 911. Shuffield swats the phone to the ground, and Lee connects a punch. Then Shuffield winds up for at least five hard blows to Lee’s head, sending her reeling. Then he kicks her phone down the street.<doc-sep>
A Texas woman whose brutal beating by a man in a Deep Ellum parking lot two weeks ago was caught on camera is now facing possible criminal charges after cops say she damaged her alleged attacker’s pickup truck. Dallas police said Tuesday they issued an arrest warrant for L'Daijohnique Lee, 24, two weeks after she allegedly broke the back windshield of Austin Shuffield’s pickup truck with a jump box – a charger for a car battery, WFAA reported. She has not been arrested nor has she turned herself in yet. The possible charge of criminal mischief come two weeks after Shuffield was seen on video punching Lee several times in the face during an altercation in a parking lot. The shocking video quickly went viral. TEXAS MAN BRANDISHED BB GUN, HITMAN AND 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL WITH HAMMER, POLICE SAY "We understand that some people are upset," Dallas police Deputy Chief Thomas Castro said at the news conference Tuesday. "It's not the intention of the Dallas Police Department to pick one side or the other. We simply had information that was provided to us on a criminal offense. We thoroughly investigated that offense. We took the action that was taken today." He said Lee admitted to breaking the windshield, causing damage estimated at more than $3,000. PROSECUTORS DROP ALL CHARGES IN DEADLY WACO BIKER SHOOTOUT Lee’s attorney, Lee Merritt, slammed the possible charge on Twitter: "A black woman alone in a dark parking lot is stalked, harassed and assaulted by a white male," Merritt posted. "He brandishes a gun, knocks away her phone when she tries to call for help – then beats her mercilessly with blows to the head. DPD just found a way to charge HER with a felony." According to police, the entire incident began when Shuffield confronted Lee about blocking the parking lot exit with her car. A witness recorded the exchange, which showed Shuffield pull out a gun while confronting Lee before knocking her cellphone from her hand and kicking it away. Lee is seeing landing one punch on Shuffield's arm before he attacks her, delivering at least five punches that connect with the woman’s face. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Shuffield, 30, was initially arrested on misdemeanor charges, but they were upgraded a week later to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawfully carrying a weapon, WFAA reported. It is unclear when Lee allegedly broke the vehicle's back windshield.