Slashing of Jewish man in Brooklyn ruled a hate crime. Video shows violent confrontation
NEW YORK -- A suspect who allegedly yelled "Free Palestine" before slashing a Jewish man is being charged with a hate crime, according to New York City police.
The suspect, identified as 22-year-old Vincent Sumpter, was engaged in a verbal argument with the victim moments before slashing the 33-year-old, police said.
Surveillance video of the attack in Crown Heights, Brooklyn shows a man lunging with a knife at a group of men and slashing one in the torso.
It happened at around 2 a.m. Saturday.
Witness describes what led up to slashing
The victim's friend said the group had just finished a Shabbat meal at the Chabad Lubavitch headquarters on Kingston Avenue when the suspect cross the street and shouted at them.
"The guy started to say, 'Free Palestine,' and stuff like that... Two of my friends came a little bit closer and told him to go away," he told CBS News New York. "And after a couple of minutes, the guy said, like, 'You wanna die, what's going on?'... We said nobody wants to die, go away, we're going to call the police... It was like a second - took a knife, opened it like that, and stabbed him by the stomach."
People in the community chased down the suspect and detained him until police arrived, he said.
Sumpter is being charged with hate crime assault and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police.
"It bothers me that this stuff still goes on," a Crown Heights resident said.
"I was with my kids and I was like, you know, I was looking if there was more police presence," said Rabbi Eliezer Gurary, of Crown Heights.
The man who was stabbed was rushed to the hospital in stable condition.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
