An Orthodox Jewish man was beaten at a traffic intersection in Brooklyn in an assault that was determined to be a hate crime by the New York City Police Department.
The attack took place on Sunday at around 7:30 a.m. in the Borough Park neighborhood. The man, 62, was carrying a special bag containing his prayer shawl and phylacteries and appeared to be walking to morning services.
The attack, captured on local surveillance video cameras, occurred when a man of Middle Eastern descent got out of his car and chased the Jewish man into the middle of the intersection where he threw him down on the road and began to beat him.
After several beatings, another elderly Jewish man attempted to intervene and is seen being chased off by the assailant.
Police say the incident began after a verbal argument broke out between the two men while the victim was crossing the street.
New York police officers and volunteers from the Borough Park Shomrim volunteer patrol responded to calls about the attack. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force reportedly has interviewed the victim.
The assailant, identified 37-year-old Farrukh Aszal has been charged with a hate (bias) crime, criminal mischief and harassment. Azal, from Staten Island, has been arrested multiple times.