Police investigating gang beating of Jewish man in New York

WANTED for AN Assault in front of 58 Gerry Street. #Brooklyn @NYPD90pct on 4/1/22 @ 7:55 PM without and prior words or provocation, the individuals punched and kicked the Hasidic victim about the body, forcing him to the ground Reward up to $3500Call 1-800-577-TIPS. CONFIDENTIAL! pic.twitter.com/6W6kfQbU1d

— NYPD Crime Stoppers (@NYPDTips) April 2, 2022

The attack took place at 7:55 p.m. Friday night on Gerry street in an area with a large community of Satmar Hasidic Jews. It is said that attacks aimed at Jewish people tend to take place on Friday nights as religious Jews do not carry their mobile phones, adding difficulty to reporting crimes to the authorities when they happen.

The New York Police Department, posted a video to their crimestoppers twitter account showing a low-quality video of the attack. In which, the victim can be seen being punched and kicked, then shoved into the side of a parked lorry where he fell to the ground as the beating continued.

After the gang assault took place police said that the group of six carjacked an Uber driver as well.

Police have said that there was no “prior words of provocation” before the group of six assaulted the 21-year-old victim.

Detectives have made one arrest in the case, a 16-year-old, who has been charged with assault as a hate crime and gang assault. A $3,500 reward has been offered by authorities for anyone who has information relating to the group assault.

Another reward for information has been provided by the Anti-Defamation League. Offering a reward of $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest.

Scott Richman, the Anti-Defamation League’s regional director said “We are shocked at the viciousness of the images of this incident.” He added “We deserve a safer and more accepting city for all New Yorkers.”

On Sunday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was ‘Outraged by this act of violence against a Jewish New Yorker.” She said that, the state police’s hate crimes task force has been assisting in the investigation.

She also added: “An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.”

New York City congressman, Ritchie Torres, a supporter of the Jewish community and Israel, called the spree of crimes against Jewish people “a moral stain on the soul of our city.”

In a separate incident, a group of six Jewish schoolboys received threats on the Upper West Side on Saturday. Local city councillor Gale Brewer said the incident is also being looked into by the police’s hate crimes unit.

One of the school boy’s mothers said that the group of children were victimised because they were Jewish and were “taunted” with crowbars and knives.

This spree of hate crimes against Jewish people has been highlighted as a growing problem by police in the city, with a total of 81 Jewish-related hate crimes happening in 2022 in New York so far. An increase of more than 300% than last year during the same time period.

The crimes consist of racist graffiti, verbal abuse, damage to property and assaults against people who are visibly Jewish.

Other forms of crime in New York are also on the rise. According to NYPD statistics, 38% of all hate crimes in New York last year were Anti-Semitic attacks. In February there was 56 hate crimes that took place against Jewish people, in comparison February 2021 only saw 11 hate crimes against Jews. Showing that hate crimes across New York have increased by 100% from 2021.

Jews are found to be the victims of hate crimes more than any other group either ethnically or religiously across New York. Of 198 confirmed anti-Semitic hate crimes in 2021 only 58 of them ended with arrests being made.