Man acquitted in murder faces new assault count

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steven Cook

Tyshawn Plowden and his attorney Cheryl Coleman react to a complete acquittal Wednesday, March 29, 2017.

SCHENECTADY — A man acquitted earlier this year of murder in connection with a 2016 killing is facing charges again, this time in connection with a knife attack, authorities said.

A second man also faces charges connected to the same incident, after allegedly trying to bribe or intimidate a witness to the attack days later, according to court documents.

Tyshawn Plowden, 30, appeared in Schenectady County Court Thursday and was ordered held on $100,000 bail.

Plowden was charged last week with first-degree assault. He is accused of using an edged weapon to cut someone on the side of their head just after 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 11 on Second Avenue, causing serious physical injury, according to court documents.

He then fled when police arrived. He was arrested a short time later on Broadway, when police found him to be in possession of a small amount of marijuana, according to court documents.

Plowden was one of two men to stand trial in March for the May 6, 2016, killing of Taquan Foreman inside 410 Paige St. Both Plowden and his co-defendant, Arsheen Montgomery, were acquitted on all charges.

Despite the acquittal, Plowden remained in custody to face rekindled charges connected with a 2013 non-fatal shooting in Pennsylvania. According to Plowden’s Schenectady attorney, Sven Paul, attorneys in Pennsylvania won Plowden’s release while that case moved forward, successfully arguing he didn’t break the terms of his release earlier in that case.

Regarding the knife attack accusations, Paul said Plowden denies the charges and that the accusations would be heard at trial.

Plowden appeared Thursday in front of Judge Matthew Sypniewski. Paul argued for bail of $5,000, citing just two felony convictions — the most recent in 2009 — and his long ties to Schenectady.

“Since the date of his 2009 conviction, the defendant has only been convicted of two minor misdemeanor charges, for which he received sentences of ‘time served,'” Paul wrote in his bail application.

Ed Moynihan appeared for the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office and argued for a higher bail, before Sypniewski set the $100,000 bail amount.