A Feb. 6 fight that broke out in a Sylvester Street home ended with a 3-year-old allegedly thrown down a flight of steps by his uncle.

According to police, 31-year-old Tommie Blaylock of New Cassel, while under the influence of the drug PCP, became involved in a verbal and physical altercation with his sister, Theresa, on the second floor of their Sylvester Street home. At the time of the confrontation, Blaylock's sister-in-law Gwendolyn Ward, who lives downstairs in the same residence with her 3-year-old son, went upstairs to intervene.

"When she reached the top of the stairs, she put her son down and intervened between Theresa and Tommie," Detective Lieutenant Gregory Detwiller, commanding officer of the third squad, said at a Feb. 7 press conference. "At that time, Tommie pushed past Gwendolyn, picked up [his nephew] and flung him down a flight of stairs."

According to a Nassau County Police Department news release, the child was thrown down a flight of 13 steps from the second floor with such force that he was literally airborne, clearing all of the steps and landing on the first floor. The toddler was taken Nassau University Medical Center for contusions and abrasions on his face and head. Due to a prior medical condition, the toddler was admitted in the pediatric intensive care unit for observation and released the following afternoon.

Blaylock was also taken to Nassau County Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition in the intensive care unit under police custody. According to police, at the scene, Blaylock resisted arrest, kicking and punching some eight police officers. He is charged with resisting arrest, reckless endangerment - 1st degree and endangering the welfare of a minor.

According to Detwiller, the altercation between Blaylock and his sister allegedly revolved around the defendant's use of the drug PCP. The detective stated that Blaylock is reported to have had prior drug-related arrests. As for this particular incident, the detective said Blaylock's behavior is believed to be a result "of the influence of this particular drug."

According to www.streetdrugs.org, PCP (phencyclidine) is classified as a hallucinogen with many of the same effects as LSD, but can be much more dangerous. PCP is known for inducing violent behavior and for inducing negative physical reactions such as seizures, coma and death. The site also states that "there is no way to predict who will have a bad reaction to the drug ... because PCP has so many faces - it acts as a hallucinogen, stimulant, depressant and anesthetic all at the same time."