Brooklyn, NY – The head of Borough Park’s Shomrim is disputing an account that ran in today’s New York Post, which accused Shomrim members of provoking an attack on a Brooklyn man which led to the shooting of four members of the citizens patrol group in 2010.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
As previously reported on VIN News, 37 year old David Flores was acquitted last month of attempted murder and 14 other charges after the 2010 incident which sent four members of Shomrim to the hospital, convicted only on a single charge of illegal possession of a gun.
According to the New York Post story, the first interview given by the defendant since the verdict was handed down on November 27th, Flores was driving to a Brooklyn bakery when his car was surrounded by an angry mob of approximately 20 Chasidic men, after a van stopped short in front of his vehicle in Borough Park.
The group allegedly banged on his windows, kicked his doors and shouted racial slurs, with one Shomrim member waving a gun at Flores. As Flores, who claims he feared for his life, attempted to escape his car, he was grabbed and beaten and only then, according to Flores, did he began firing.
Nothing could be farther from the truth, according to Shomrim coordinator Yanky Daskal, who said that Flores, who has been arrested numerous times, had a history of exposing himself to children in the area.
“911 had already been called on him a week before,” Daskal told VIN News. “By the time police came he was long gone, but we had his description and a plate number. When we got a call a week later that he was exposing himself to kids again, we called 911 and we followed his car.”
As Flores, who according to Daskal knew he was being followed, turned into 46th Street on September 2nd 2010, he was blocked by a vehicle that was trying to park.
“There was a hachnasas Sefer Torah and the Satmar Rebbe was there, it was a huge crowd,” recalled Daskal. “We were on the street and we made sure not to approach him, touch him or say anything to him.”
After getting out of his car and seeing Shomrim members approaching on foot, Flores took a .22 caliber handgun out of his pocket.
“He shot one of our members in the stomach from quite a few feet away,” said Daskal. “After that we jumped him. He shot again and again, even shooting himself. We were just trying to get the gun away. It was chaos.”
While the Post article quotes Flores as saying that Shomrim members mistook him for a Muslim because of his small woven cap and hurled racial epithets during the incident, Daskal categorized that statement as an outright lie.
“No one shouted any slurs,” said Daskal.
Flores did not testify in his trial but faces five to 15 years in prison on the illegal weapons charge.
If the NYP does not quote their “facts” from a source, it should be sued for slander. Maybe that will stop the flood of anti-Semitic articles and comments that have become the character of that paper.
A guy here with numerous arrest record and carrying a illegal weapon and you want to believe him?
Over the last 4 year’s I had this following question, and I hope that finally someone will answer it! I never understood this Qhy does Mr. Daskal only say that Flores is a liar because “We Didn’t Shout Any Slurs.” Flores also said that they pointed a gun on him too. Why can’t Mr. Daskal come say that this was a Lie too???
The jury couldn’t say it more clear. Quote: while they do an amazing job keeping the community safe, “they’re not cops.”
I’m not so sure that he lied. He might be telling the truth. Our shomrim members are not that holy.
The same news paper wrote on Mr. Weberman “pig” etc. way before the trial even begun.
The amendment “Innocent Until Proven Guilty” doesn’t exist when the case is with a Hasidic Jew……
These things continue over and over again. Yesterday it was Weberman Today it is shomrim and tomorrow someone else. Wake up wake up wake up we’re in gulis.
shomrim are the unsung heroes in our neighborhoods and should be gun holders. besides slanderous information, something just doesn’t give with the NYP..giving a scum of the earth a platform to defend himself??? that is egregious!. yidden not protesting this crock of lies??? outrageous!. we need a frum al Sharpton in our midst
bh no fatalities on that day. may flores rot in hell
Who buys it? The only thing it could be good for is wrapping garbage! Not good for wrapping fish!! Why kill the trees???
To bad the brother wasnt eliminated and dumped in the trash someplace.
Shomrim does a superb job at community patrol (without weapons), and deserves a medal of honor. Despite the fact that the NY post’s biased reporting has managed to lie and smear them at every juncture (Leiby Kletzky saga included). This has not held back these selfless volunteers from doing their job. Anyone familiar with Shomrim knows that they are an indispensable asset to the community, NYPD, and the city at large.
They should cut out this yellow journalism, back off our community, and stop taking cheap shots for a few political points!
The New York Post should retract this article in its entirety and issue an apology to the members of Shomrim!
Shomrim should’ve file a lawsuit against the NY POST if he’s so certain the 4 Members didn’t shout any racial slurs.
1. Shomrim does an amazing job protecting us. Some of the members are scum bags and don’t belong on the street, but most of them are OK.
2. This guy was willing to shoot anther person. He should go away for attempted murder, high might have a sickness of exposing himself. That’s treatable. But once a killer always a killer. If he goes free now he’ll come back and finish the job.
3. Weberman should be the topic at every post and at every table. Had it been your father or son you would not rest until his jail time is reduced. He probably did do all these nasty things to that girl. I would give him 1 year, two years, 3 years max. Buy the time he comes out he will be a nobody. 100 years is not a punishment, it execution. They are busing him in there. He’s probably scared to leave his cell.
I am not saying this guy is not wrong, however, Daskal has hurt many innocent people over the years and taken his power to a different level. He should be looked into as well. He should not be running shomrim. Shomrim should go after him.