29-year-old Royal Blackmon III was involved in a domestic altercation with his girlfriend, Laura Shaw, at their Lenox Village apartment on May 5th. The incident started when Blackmon III came home visibly frustrated and began to purposely light a bay leaf on fire in the bathroom. When Shaw tried to get Blackmon III to stop, they started arguing. Shaw left the bathroom to stop the altercation from escalating, but while she was on her way out, Blackmon III hit her with the door. Blackmon III proceeded to punch Shaw in the stomach and face multiple times, causing swelling above her eyes. Shaw was able to provide law enforcement with video footage of the incident showcasing her version of events. Royal Blackmon III left before officers arrived, but he was later found, taken into custody, and charged with domestic assault on June 6th.