Brooklyn, NY – The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is looking into an attack that took place yesterday in Williamsburg as a possible bias incident after a 39 year old Chasidic man was hit in the head by an unidentified man in broad daylight.
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Police said that the attack took place at approximately 7:40 PM at the corner of Marcy Avenue and Rodney Street.
Surveillance video shows the victim getting hit from behind on the side of the face with an open hand, knocking both his hat and his yarmulke off his head, nearly stumbling to the ground from the impact of the blow. He sustained pain and redness to his face and was not seriously injured in the incident.
The suspect, who was wearing a light colored top, dark pants and shoes and a dark backpack, fled the scene.
Rabbi David Niederman, executive director of The United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, said that police need to be doing more to protect the community.
“This has reached crisis proportion,” Rabbi Niederman told VIN News. “If young adults and children cannot walk freely in the street in broad daylight, the conclusion is that we are not safe. Who is addressing this and how? What are we telling our children and our families?”
Rabbi Niederman said that he has been told by the NYPD that they are looking into the incident and that video supplied by Williamsburg Shomrim has been helpful. Those efforts are just not enough, said Rabbi Niederman.
“This is frightening and it happens all too often,” said Rabbi Niederman. “We need to sit down and have an emergency meeting with the police commissioner to address where we are and what is going to be done.”
Taking to Twitter, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams made it clear that he had no doubts that the victim was singled out because of his religion, tweeting, “I’m appalled by this anti-Semitic assault yesterday in #Williamsburg. It’s particularly chilling this attack doesn’t appear borne from gang mentality, but rather done by a lone assailant. We must ALL amplify our efforts to increase respect for diversity.”
Brooklyn Councilman Stephen Levin also categorized the incident as anti-Semitic and called on the NYPD to act decisively to put a stop to the wave of attacks on the district’s Jewish residents.
“This kind of hate cannot be tolerated,” said Levin. “I fully expect the NYPD to investigate and bring to justice the perpetrator of this crime and I intend to follow up to ensure that we are doing everything we can to root out this type of hate from our communities.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Crime Stoppers Hotline by phone at 800-577-TIPS, by text at 247637 (CRIMES) and then entering TIP577 or online at www.NYPDCrimeStoppers.com.
Looks more like Germany circa 1938
Looks like a Trump supporter.
Wait! He looks like an AOC supporter!
Looks like this people are getting what they give out.
The “Chaps Em” Chevrah must all be old foygies . Bring em back …ASAP !!!!
when i grew up in bp in the 60’s-70’s i had my JEW CAP ripped off my head more then once but was always in awe (might i add proud) of the williamsburg “CHAPTSEM” code that scared off any potential trouble makers back then it was purse snatchers or petty crimes not antisemitism which is far worse
its time to bring the chaptsem system back
a few broken bones should teach the rest of the anti Semites that crime doesnt pay in williamsburg
What is going on in the black community? homes? churches? schools? that is encouraging or condoning the terrific rise of black on Jew violence.
Most anti-Semitic attacks in the recent past in NYC have been committed by young black men or even teens.
What is going on?
This started when DiBlasio came into office. The real decisions he makes controp wt the Police do and how they count crime.
Savages from the jungle, perpetrate these attacks. When the JDL was in existence, they protected the Jews from those animals.
Too bad didn’t happen by a Dunkin donuts corrupt nypd