Supporters of brutalized Brooklyn smoke shop owner want case probed as hate crime
NEW YORK -- There are calls for action in the wake of a brutal attack at a Coney Island smoke shop over the weekend.
Just two days after the assault at the shop on Mermaid Avenue, the message was strong.
"Law enforcement has to investigate this as a hate crime because that's what happened here," said Ahmed Mohamed, legal director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The shop owner, Jamal Sawaid, an immigrant from Yemen, is recovering from Saturday afternoon's vicious attack. He said a man used a racial slur and then, as seen in surveillance video, smashed him with a metal pipe.
"It's scary. That's why all these businesses are standing together and saying we don't want this," said Marie Shahzada, the victim's wife.
This isn't the first time business owners in the area have been concerned about their safety. Back in September, two gunmen robbed the Balaji Pharmacy, and now are hearing about Sawaid's attack.
"All of our employees were all shaken again. It's like reliving the whole thing again," pharmacist Subbaro Sannidhi said.
"Everybody in this city deserves to feel safe, no matter their background, their religion, especially during the holy month of Ramadan," Mohamed said.
The NYPD says it is an active investigation and the Hate Crimes Task Force has been notified, but it's not being called a hate crime at this time. Sawaid's wife said she has faith in the system.
"The NYPD, they can't do it alone. We need you guys, the media. We need the public at large to say we know this guy. I feel confident the NYPD will do their job as long as they get the support from the community," Shahzada said.