Brooklyn, NY – Tensions continue to escalate in Crown Heights following the Oct 8. beating of a student and the already tenuous relationship between Jewish residents and the 71st precinct continues to deteriorate.
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While Jewish community leaders and elected officials have called for the dismissal of the two officers involved, police union president Patrick J. Lynch made headlines yesterday as reported on VIN News, when he announced that the beating of 21 year old Ehud Halevi was justified.
Halevi’s lawyer, civil rights attorney Normal Siegel, told the Daily News that the issue of bias within the NYPD is a serious one.
“You can’t dismiss the possibility of anti-Semitism,” said Siegel. “There are racial, ethnic, class problems with the NYPD. It is an issue that the police commissioner and the mayor can’t ignore.” Siegel made the same claim on the Zev Brenner radio show posted earlier this week on VIN News.
Barry Sugar of the Jewish Leadership Council, told VIN News that the Halevi beating was not the only anti-Semitic incident to take place over the holidays in Crown Heights. Shmuel Hahn, a 51 year old father of twelve was attacked at gunpoint by a group of black men.
“The only reason Mr. Hahn is alive today is because when they pulled the trigger to shoot him, the gun malfunctioned,” Sugar told VIN News.
Hahn suffered a broken jaw in the attack, which according to Sugar, only ended when a witness called for police.
According to Sugar, police did little in the case, other than to take a statement from the victim and Sugar sent a letter to Deputy Inspector John Lewis, demanding an explanation.
Sugar also faulted police for not displaying sensitivity to the community’s needs during the holiday season, particularly in light of an incident which took place last year, when Moshe Sani, a hasidic man was arrested by police after asking officers to stop interrogating a chasidic driver who had been pulled over in a traffic stop, just moments before the onset of Rosh Hashana. Sani, who had asked the police officer to contact his superiors, was pushed into the bushes after he tried to leave the scene and spent the first night of Rosh Hashana in police custody.
While the NY Daily News reports today, (http://goo.gl/53a4u) that a spokesperson for the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office said that the court records in the Sani case were sealed, Sani told the Daily News that he received six months probation after being charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.
Below video of last years incident which was first reported by Crownheights.info
Finally the truth comes out. But if history is any predictor, nothing will happem now either.
maybe crown heights will wake up and realize this isnt the messianic era. And i say that as a chabadnik.
I’m sorry for this guy, however after watching the whole video it’s clear that he was resisting arrest and was acting very arrogant to the cops. If i was a cop i would have punched him in the face too.
I simply don’t understand how anyone can say that this was racially motivated. he was resisting arrest, watch the whole video.
Zaidy you are a simpleton, someone who hopes that not walking on the cracks on the sidewalks will save him from bad luck. Instead of being so smug get some seichel. If you “would have punched him in the face too”, then you are a horrible person siding with these savages who, make no mistake, are not on your side whether you are right or wrong. What a shame you were not in their places!
Charge the pigs with fraud, assault and battery, harassment, false arrest and kidnapping for a start! Toss them into the general population at Rikers for a couple of years!
I actually find it a lot worse if these are not racially motivated.
The way I see it, there’s something seriously wrong with this society if somebody can be beaten and sent to jail when the only crime committed is “resisting arrest.”
How does that conversation usually go?
“You’re under arrest”
“Why? I didn’t do anything!”
“It doesnt matter you’re under arrest anyhow. No put your hands behind your back.”
“No”
“OK, now you’re under arrest for resisting arrest.”
Wouldn’t you resist arrest in you were peacefully sleeping in your bed & the police burst in & wanted to arrest you for no reason? The video of last year’s arrest of an orthodox Jew by brutal police is horrifying too. They are clearly anti-semites. What arrogant jerks. They never do anything to real criminals & pick on innocent, helpless people.
I’m sorry for this guy, I know many people who have been homeless in their lives, however, everybody knows that regardless of where ever you might be in the world, you don’t act hostile toward police. I’m sorry to say this, but this guy was obnoxious and disrespectful to the cops.
To #9
If one can beaten up for being disrespectful – every second person would have a broken jaw, so meet meet me in a dark alley late at night!
People who are supposed to uphold the law – must behave, if not – fire them and charge them!