By Olivia Scheck
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Television law man Richard Belzer is accused of assaulting a female employee at the Apple store on the Upper West Side on Wednesday, according to several published reports.
The "Law & Order" star allegedly grabbed Milan Agnew, 21, by the shoulders, shaking and choking her while exclaiming, "I need help!" the Daily News reported.
Police talked to Belzer and looked at surveillance tapes, but did not charge him, the New York Post reported.
Belzer, who has played a detective on TV, told police that he was "just joking," the News reported.
Agnew, an aspiring dancer and Marymount Manhattan College grad, was shaken up by the incident at the store on 67th and Broadway.
"She told me, 'Nana, he didn't just touch me, he choked me and really scared me,' " her grandmother Anita McKnight told the News.
Belzer has been a fixture in New York City entertainment for more than 20 years. He broke into show business as a comedian in Manhattan and has starred in several television shows and movies.
"If it was one of us, we'd be locked up right now," witness Jonathan Fox told the News.
The NYPD said a report was filed after the incident, but would not confirm Belzer's involvement. No arrests were made, police said.
