A 25-year-old Jewish man dressed in Hasidic clothing was stabbed in the back on Wednesday as he walked along a street in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, and his assailant was being sought in what the police were investigating as a possible hate crime, officials said.
The victim sustained a collapsed lung, the authorities said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was asked about the stabbing of a Crown Heights Jewish resident during a press conference on Wednesday.
“We’re very concerned about that,” de Blasio said, according to a report in the NY Times. “We’re looking at it as a potential hate crime.”
Laiby Brikman, a newlywed 25-year-old, was stabbed in the back while walking in front of 646 Empire Boulevard, between Kingston and Albany Avenues, around 11:40 AM.
The attacker was a black male who stabbed Brikman without uttering a word. Robert Boyce, the chief of detectives, said that Brikman fled and called 911 himself.
“He is dressed in Hasidic garb,” Chief Boyce said about the victim. “Right now we’re looking at it as a possible hate crime because he’s dressed in that fashion.”
Police are hoping that security footage captured by the Safe Zone 24 home security firm will help in capturing the assailant. It showed a man whose face was unrecognizable in a black jacket and blue hooded sweatshirt, the Times said.
Video: suspect seen running from crime scene holding a bloody knife/SafeZone24
The Times reported that investigators were also exploring whether the episode on Wednesday was connected to the stabbing of a Hatzalah volunteer in Crown Heights in the fall.
In both cases the victims were stabbed without a word being spoken by the assailant, according to a police official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation.
B”H Given the identity of the victim, it’s really not right to say he was “dressed” as a Chossid; he IS one, and it plays down the ad hominem nature of the attack, as though people should ch”v be discouraged from dressing like Yidden, which has been a problem in Britain, and it’s really not appropriate to use this terminology for a Chassidic neighborhood!! The wording is an attempt to play down the real meaning of the attack, to sanitize it, it seems.
Yes, there was a killing of police officers in another state a couple of days ago and the article said they were killed “just for being in uniform”.
IMO you are reading way too much into the sentence, when secular news reports on something like this, saying the person was dressed in Chassidic clothing is their way of saying the fact that he was a Chossid is likely the reason he was attacked.
def not ahavas chinam, we can agree.
Other cameras like at kosher town or the laundry place might give a more accurate detail. If he was going down albany check like sauce and cheese cam
The person stabbed is a Chasid! He’s not some kind of wannabe, “dressed in Hasidic clothing” as if he’s in a fake costume, or a possible impostor, or something!
Why this odd language??? (I also heard the stabbing victim described this way on the radio; what gives here???? Did someone at the AP phrase it this way, and even frum Jewish sources like this website didn’t fix this?)
If the person stabbed were a police officer, would the press describe him or her as “dressed in a police uniform”????
Is this mayor for real? “Potential” hate crime?!?!? It sure ain’t an act of ahvas chinam!
I saw Israel Shemtov running down Empire Blvd at about 11:20 with two Kapottes in his hand.
Why do ppl have surveillance cameras that record, when 90 percent of the time the resolution of the picture is too low for identification purposes…
have or will any of the black ministers/orgs come out against it? Are they speaking to their congregations? What are congregations worth if not to help improve life standards for everyone?
In all likelihood this is a person that had a Schizophrenic episode and not a hate crime….my personal opinion.
The blue hat and knapsack indicate a school age male who may have been doing this as a gang initiation. Can the police look at who was late or absent from then local schools in that area?
We need more cops on the street and a video camera on every street corner. My prayers are with the victim.
Anyone in the area who has security cameras, please check them! This guy has to get caught- enough of this abuse from violent people! I hope Laiby feel better! Refuah shelaima