Brooklyn Rabbi: Gang Of Teens Playing Disturbing Game Of 'Knock Out The Jew'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD is looking into a series of attacks on Jews in Brooklyn. At least one attack was caught on surveillance tape.
Some of the assaults may be part of a disturbing game, CBS 2's John Slattery reported on Tuesday.
Police have yet to connect all the incidents, but released surveillance video that shows one group attacking a Jewish man. The video shows from a few different angles the victim, a man in a hooded jacket, getting punched.
One man who didn't want to be identified told Slattery his 12-year-old son was attacked in the same way.
"It's clearly anti-Semitism," the man said.
The 64-year-old said his son, who was dressed in traditional Jewish clothing, was attacked last Wednesday afternoon on President Street.
"One, full strength with his fist, whacked him, punched him, on the side of the face, full force," the man said.
The child went to the ground as he heard the group of five to six teens yell out.
"A hysterical, happy shout, 'We got him,'" the man said.
Video also shows a 19-year-old Jewish man being sucker-punched.
"He was actually holding an expensive camera. And they punched him and nothing was stolen," Rabbi Yaacov Behrman said.
Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind said the attacks are not muggings. It's not about money. He said the victims are being attacked because they are Jews.
Behrman said he believes the assaults are part of a disturbing game by some African-American teens.
"And they're playing a game: 'knockout.' 'Knock out the Jew,' maybe. And they're going around the neighborhood punching Jews," Behrman said.
He said that in the last two months there have been assaults and three incidents of graffiti, incidents the police have confirmed, Slattery reported.
"I think there have been a total of eight since September, middle of September," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, referring to the total number of incidents.
The attacks and vandalism are being investigated by the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force. The hope is that the suspects in the pictures will be identified.
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