Police Threaten to Arrest Bochur for not Carrying ID

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — A Bochur was stopped, this Motzai Shabbos, by a van with 7 cops for riding his bicycle on a sidewalk, and when police asked for his identification he explained that Shabbos had just ended and he did not have it. Instead of understanding, the officers threatened to arrest him.

The incident took place a short time after Shabbos on Brooklyn Avenue between Montgomery and Crown Streets. The police van was driving down Brooklyn when they spotted the Bochur, stopped him, and all the officers got out of the van and surrounded the Bochur.

A passerby called Shomrim, out of fear the Bochur might get arrested.

The police relented and accepted his verbal identification and wrote him a criminal summons for riding his bike on a sidewalk, for which he will have to appear in criminal court.

101 Comments

  • WOW the Rabbis will now issue a new GAG

    this story did not happend and that is why the machashaifa did not write about it .
    i think we should put the Mr Cohen from jcc with the Hatefull mica machashaifa. and have them shiped to cuba

  • so what

    so he got a summons for riding his bike on the sidewalk

    a how did he get the bike but no identification
    and y was he driving his bike on the sidewalk

  • stop the Hype!

    so in other words, someone was illegally riding his bike on the street, despite the fact that he did not have ID the police let him go on his own merit.

    Sounds to me like the police were very understanding.

  • This is only the beginning!

    It’s started, people! This harassment is a DIRECT RESULT of this bogus Psak caused by the intimidation of weak & cowardly Rabbis by our corrupt CHJCC.

    SHOW US THE MONEY! Who are you cheating today? Why don’t you want anyone speaking up? What are you afraid of?

    The bochur needs a lawyer to defend him and make an official complaint of harassment to 1 Police Plaza. The people who called Shomrim must step forward to help. This has to be stopped NOW!!! Before we are arrested for having private conversations where were MIGHT have criticized the heilige CHJCC or the Rabbonim.

  • more anti-vigilism

    Guess I’m not allowed to comment; because it will ruin our, good, relationship with the cops

  • yosef machor shabbos

    heeeeey, that’s against the rabbonim! You cannot publish this story. wow, wow, wow, wow! Stepping into it my friend…

  • tipshim

    true you can’t ride a bike on a sidewalk, but it just shows the attitude of the cops. we’re in charge and we will enforce the law against you jews, because we don’t want you to hurt any other jews that may walk on the sidewalk. we would rather arrest them for blocking the sidewalk. Crown heights info keep up the good work, and don’t forget to give them their medal for saving lives of people that can get hurt by the bicycle. amen and ve amen

  • not required!

    this is not right its after shabbos is he suppose to be carying around his wallet? r the police trying to arrest him? he did nuthing wrong!

  • wow criminals of crownheights

    the criminals are the ones
    riding on sidewalks
    speaking on the sidewalks causing traffic
    double parking

    NOT the rubbers on the murderers, drug traffickers and rapist.

    SHAME ON YOU 71, you are pathetic!

  • Oy Vay!

    Do you have permission from the vaad to post this?
    or you’re breaking the rules already?

  • liepa

    Seven cops surrounding 1 bochur. You’d be justified in thinking the bochur must have killed someone, but no, all he did was ride his bike on the sidewalk. That’s just it, they can only surround us for such petty stuff because we yidden don’t mug or kill people so the best they can do is surround us for the big crimes that we sometimes do, riding a bike on the sidewalk. These 7 coppers are probably not the brightest bulbs in the precinct, anyway.

  • Ron

    What’s your point the u did not wright boy you wrote bucker very one knows you don’t ride your bike on the sidewalk even for a moment

  • ch resident

    what about the kids who will steal his bike? do they also get stopped and threatened and harassed? or do they get waved off with a friendly smile and “kids will be kids”?

  • like sheep yo be slaughtered

    nazi germany-are we aloud to say that or is that up to the community council to decide?

  • what is your issue!!!

    this is what happens when u start messing with the police! listen to the people that care for our community and stop starting a verbal war with the law!! you are a disgrace to our community!!!!

  • You-re going to be in trouble :-)

    The Beth Din of Crown Heights and the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council aren’t going to be happy about this report :-)

  • Hehe

    Worded very nicely! States the facts without criticizing the police. Wouldn’t want to go against that psak din, now, would we….

  • right and worng

    to drive a car you need a licence, to drive a truck you need a licence, a bike you need ID, I am a big of this site but PLEASE….. The boucher had time to get his bike which inculded going home to get the bike or key to the bike, the police are not allways right, but here they were doing there job!!

  • Don-t blame Shabbos

    How is it that the bochur had enough time to get his bicycle and not his wallet? The police really cannot be blamed on this one.

  • stam

    I know a bochur who spent a night in jail as a result of not showing up to court for riding his bike on the sidewalk

  • cops

    the cops are there to get us i always see black kids ride in front of them and they do nothing, were in for it

  • Milhouse

    The real question is why he was riding on the sidewalk. How can he possibly think that’s OK? And if he had time after shabbos to get his bike, why couldn’t he get his wallet as well?

    By the way, there is NO requirement to carry ID. But if you get a ticket and you’re not carrying ID, then how can the cops know who you are? So they can hold you until they know to whom to write the ticket.

  • MESSED UP

    THE COPS ARE BUSY GIVING US TICKETS FOR RIDICULOUS THINGS AND MEANWHILE PEOPLE ARE BEING MURDERED.. I THINK OUR COPS NEED HIGHER EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY DO THEYT HINK HES A TERRORIST, COME ON!! IDIOTS

  • Hmmmm.....

    Is this article posted to test us and see who will comment after the “gag order?”

  • Fed up with this already

    They only come for the small things.
    When something big happens they are nowhere to be found.

  • elisha

    crown heights . info keep up the good work dont let anyone tell you how to run freedom

  • chutzpa aza

    boycot ch.info for violating the bais din’s psak.
    All those who advertise with them should stop.

  • anony

    Ummm….and three blocks over at the same moment s1 was getting mugged(even if it weren’t the case this time…its the case 99.9% of the time when the cops find some major “CRIME” to stop)

  • cops in new york are the worst.

    my brother was arrested for using a student metro card without id and spent 24 hours in central booking then they refused to give him food so he fainted and spent a few hours in the hospital handcuffed to the bed.

    cops in new york are the worst.

  • don-t believe it!

    Very strange story. If the bochur had time to fetch his bicycle. Then he had time to obtain his i.d.

  • chani

    i saw a similar thing happen with someone else about a year ago.
    was on albany ave and union.
    seriously, the cyclist was SURROUNDED by police
    UNREAL!
    i also called shomrim or shmira (WHATEVER)!
    dont they have anything better to do.

    gosh are we all supposed to be carrying id around at all times
    vos epes!

  • sadinbrooklyn

    It’s an all out war by the police against yidden in crown heights. we need help!

  • not normal!!

    who ever heard of such a thing??
    its MUCH safer to ride a bike on the sidewalk than on the street!!!!
    especially narrow and crowded crown heights streets!!!
    we should knot allow this!!

  • Maple Street

    I appreciate CH.info reporting the news. Please continue to monitor the decline of our neighborhood so we can at least be eduated, safe, and aware citizens.

  • TO 33

    ARE U SERIOUS?? HELLOOOO WHERE IS UR BRAIN?? WHO IN THE WORLD CARRIES ID 24/7 ON THEM???? YOU KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD GET TICKETS IF THEY WENT AROUND MANHATTEN DOING THAT..I NEVER CARRY ID!!!!!! THATS BOGUS

  • to 54

    ok so now we are losing our freedom to ride on sidewalks? um thats crazy so what if the cops say next no looking up, ok everyone start walking around looking down..i mean that is just not normal!
    and the sideWALK HAD NOTHING to do with the id thing! what are u even trying ot say? he got a ticket for not having ID not for riding on the sidewalk..thats not illegal..who are u and where did u go to school??

  • Going around the psak?

    If you wright the article without the slant…
    “instead of understanding”, the officers threatened to arrest him.
    would this then be ok in terms of the psak, just straight forward facts?

  • i am JCC

    today i will be the JCC and give you permission to write the article as you see it .
    as for the raabis order is just a joke.
    as long as the Crown heights Bais Din is Less than 3
    it is not Bais Din and has no real say in this world.
    and before you rabbis mix in to other stories finish first your own fights .
    very nise to see 2 people who fight for 10 years
    sign toghther a stupid edict .
    its pathetic

  • A worried community member

    We need Issac Zellermeier and/or Yossi Frankel back… They wouldn’t stand for this and deal with it the right way. We need liaisons who care, not those who suck up to the cops. They worked tirelessly to better the relationship with the community and the police but always standin up for the jew

  • hey

    answer to number 20!
    7 cops thats way too little! maybe they bring the army!
    hahaha!
    crazy is not a word!

  • Like #8 said

    “so in other words, someone was illegally riding his bike on the street, despite the fact that he did not have ID the police let him go on his own merit.

    Sounds to me like the police were very understanding.”
    Everybody is getting all worked up over nothing.

  • U-cesil Lo Yovin

    To all those of you who criticized the bachur for riding his bike on the sidewalk, did you stop and think just where it was that he was stopped?

    HE WAS STOPPED ON BROOKLYN AVENUE!!!

    I dare you to ride up against traffic up Brooklyn! And if you say he should have used Kingston, well with all that construction it would just as bad if not worse.

    So please, gimmy a break, it was right after Shabbos, it was freezing cold, the streets were probably empty, and this is what cops found to do in order to show that they are active? Enforcing bike laws?

    Not once in this new Vaad’s tenure have they made a public statement about any of these issues; 10 years olds getting mugged at gun point, Bochurim getting ticketed for blocking pedestrian traffic. And even now they remain silent, and I am sure it will stay that way.

    Blissfully quiet.

    But to try and stand up to shut us all up, that they can go and get both RAH-bonim to sign together. They know how to get gag orders signed in lightening speed to show the police that look – “we shut the community up, now they cant complain about you cops anymore, see? we are on your side!”

    If we the community are too dumb to see it, then we deserve it.

  • Akiva

    KNOW YOUR RIGHTS…

    At any time, a police officer may approach a person and ask questions. The objective may simply be a friendly conversation; however, the officer also may suspect involvement in a crime, but lack “specific and articulable facts” that would justify a detention or arrest, and hope to obtain these facts from the questioning. The person approached is not required to identify herself or answer any other questions, and may leave at any time. Police are not usually required to tell a person that she is free to decline to answer questions and go about her business; however, a person can usually determine whether the interaction is consensual by asking, “Am I free to go?”

    Police may briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a crime. Police may conduct a limited search for weapons (known as a “frisk”) if they reasonably suspect that the person to be detained may be armed and dangerous.

    Police may question a person detained in a stop, but in general, the detainee __is not required to answer.__ However, New York has a “stop and identify” law that allows an officer to demand a person detained to identify himself to the officer, provide an address and a “reason for conduct”. The law requires the person to identify, NOT to provide identification nor to answer questions if they choose not to.

    Of course, not doing so will make the police involved unhappy and may cause them to act threatening. They may threaten to detail or arrest and are NOT required to be truthful (they can lie to you) about whether they can actually arrest you.

    Generally every lawyer will advise you to always remain silent beyond what you are legally required to answer (to identify). For example, if the police ask you “what were you doing riding on the sidewalk” and you say “just going down the block to my home”, YOU just provided the evidence that you were riding on the sidewalk.

    Otherwise if this were to go to court (about 6 months later) the officer would have to show up and testify he remembers you (from 6 months earlier) and saw you (in the dark at night) riding on the sidewalk, and state when and where. That’s very challengeable in court.

  • To the communist Millhouse

    By the way I finally got it. Your name sake is Mill Hause not Millhouse. It is German not Jewish in origin. Finally we can understand your views. Nebach your grandparents must have been hiding amongst us after the war and lied to you. FYI you ranting raving lunatic this behavior will now require children riding bikes to be on the road too. I assume you have no children or most probably your neutered and have no plans to have any either. But this behavior by the police is out of control. In no city in America do the cops do this. Unless the person is crating a constant danger on the sidewalks which I doubt that was the case then they should be stopped or warned but definitely no given a summons.
    Maybe Zaki should take off his scarf and stop worrying about style and worry about the reality of what is going on in CH. Then again this is what we get for voting in idiots.

  • Not Ignorant

    To 57

    Like 54 said, you can’t ride a bike on the sidewalk.

    § 19-176 Bicycle operation on sidewalks prohibited. a. For purposes of
    this section:
    (1) The term “bicycle” shall mean a two or three wheeled device upon
    which a person or persons may ride, propelled by human power through a
    belt, a chain or gears, with such wheels in a tandem or tricycle, except
    that it shall not include such a device having solid tires and intended
    for use only on a sidewalk by a child.

  • moishe binder

    to # 33 plus others as well:
    Must people on bikes have a combination lock (partially and exactly) because of Motzei Sahbbos or fear of loosing or forgetting the key…
    so it makes all the sense in the world that he wouldn’t have ID but had the bike!!!!!

  • ps

    this is a report to raise money pidyon shevuim to help the bocher to pay for his criminal defense!
    Cops cannot be inmune for acting like this
    they better should stop all the schwartzes to see if they have guns

  • to #61 and #15

    You are all being childish! By american law, we all (american citizens) must carru ID with us at all times or the police have a right to arrest us! He was lucky in not getting arrested. If he went home after shabbos to get his bike he obviously had time to get his ID too! He was at fault and the police were not!

    some police are bad but many are just trying to protect people (whether your black, white, asian, jewish, christian, or muslim)! You ALL need to grow up! You sound like children!!!

  • c h res

    Sorry he is not a crimmjnal just some tickets are handled in traffic court and some in crimminal court that is just the way system is set up

  • sechel

    You mean to say that if someone is riding a tricycle on the sidewalk (a 5yr old for instance),they may legally be ticketed? This is the stupidist place I’ve ever lived. Hardly anyone seems to know how actually think in this community, and the education level is so lacking that when I read theses opinions, it’s sometimes difficult to understand because of bad grammar,spelling & punctuation, or generally poorly written content.

  • Milhouse

    #57, you couldn’t possibly be more wrong.

    You didn’t lose your freedom to ride bikes on the sidewalk; you never had such a freedom. No such freedom has ever existed, anywhere in the world. Every biker knows that sidewalks are for pedestrians, not for vehicles. Bikes are vehicles, and belong on the road. Where did you grow up that you don’t know this?

    And no, he was NOT ticketed for not carrying ID. This is America, not Europe or Israel, and there is no requirement that we carry ID. We DO have the freedom to go out without ID, and it has not been lost; but IF the police have a legitimate reason to give you a ticket, as they did in this case, then they have to know who you are, and if you’re not carrying ID then you’re stuck. You can tell them your name and address, but they’re not mechuyav to believe you, and if they don’t then they can hold you until they verify the information.

    #65, get back on your meds, quickly.

  • The guy who called

    I called Shomrim because they had 2 cars and seven cops for 1 guy,also I have heard stories of people getting locked up for not having id so when Shomrim came and started taking pics/video the cops ran b/c obviously they were doing something wrong

  • scmaness@gmail.com

    first of all l know a woman that a guy bang into her with his bike and she is an older woman,l know for a fact that she wasn’t all right,quite brused as the matter of fact she was limping for quite awhile,a few months,and second that’s why we have bike lanes,many people are sgainst them,and third people who ride bikes need to underatand that they have rules too,just like cars,forth,perhaps this fellow left his bike by someone else and was picking it up? and last but not least may people are not wearing bike helmets,and that includes the black boys too,so the cops should go after them also,and on more thing,hashem wants us to be safe,so thank the one above

  • Milhouse

    #70, “By american law, we all (american citizens) must carru ID with us at all times or the police have a right to arrest us!”

    Where on EARTH did you get such an idea? This is completely wrong. This is America, not Russia, and we do NOT have to carry ID. Not carrying ID is NEVER grounds for arrest, and it wasn’t in this case. The problem in this case was that he was legitimately getting a ticket, and because he had no ID the police were unable to know in what name to write the ticket, so they held him until they were able to find out for sure who he was. Had he not been riding on the sidewalk, he could have gone without ID for as long as he liked.

  • Milhouse

    #72, what makes you think it’s OK to ride a bike on the sidewalk?

    As it happens, in New York there is an exception for children under 12. They are allowed to ride on the sidewalk. But don’t try it anywhere else without first finding out the local law; most places do NOT have such an exception.

  • to #76

    You’re an idiot if you think that!! Read the American Governmental laws! It was created by congress!

  • awacs

    “By american law, we all (american citizens) must carru ID with us at all times or the police have a right to arrest us!”

    Incorrect. That kind of thinking is the hallmark of a police state. We’re getting there, but we aren’t there yet.

  • NOT 1 POLICE BUT 7

    so this is what the police are busy with. NOT 1 POLICE BUT A VAN WITH 7???????. hay how about u police trying to do something about our childerin not getting muged in the street. etc

  • Ariyeh Leib Segall

    I would hope the bochur was able to remeber the names of this ‘gang’ of cops…would be geat to embarass the 71st Pct over this nonsense…!!!
    It would be great to get norman seigel of the NY Civil liberties union in on this…He lives for this type of stuff and attracts lots of media attention!!!!

  • we need a balance

    It is time for us to request a bike lane for our Crown Heights streets. On those streets we will be able to expect what the law is requiring. I feel that all parents should have a note sent home regarding their bochurim’s rights and the rules. We need to be aware of how to validate our rights as citizens but also to be law abiding citizens to create the proper balance of a kiddush Hashem!

  • Milhouse

    #78, what drugs are you on? Or do you just get a weird thrill from telling lies in public?

  • unbelievable

    No, one is NOT allowed to ride their bike on the sidewalk (and please parents educate your children!), but what comes into question here is why he had to be surrounded by SEVEN police officers?

  • I have a question

    How do Jewish people these days bypass the sidewalk when getting their bikes from the house to the street? It’s clearly a crime which it needs to be stopped. But seriously, there is nothing wrong with police just the quality of the ones that are stationed here. The more praise they get the more they will despise you. You have to stop being afraid so that things won’t escalate.

  • this time police are half right

    he obviously went home to get his bike he should have taken his wallet. but the police should also stop other people riding bikes on pavement
    if he didn’t have id how could they write a criminal summons and they dont know who he is to make shore he comes

  • Tell Cohen C.H. is not La La Land

    Chas v’shalom that Rabbi Eli Cohen should have one of his own children be victimized by authorities like this, but maybe that’s the only way he will understand that Crown Heights is not “La, la” Land.

    Please Hashem, he should come to his senses before that!

  • To 70 -- please think before you write

    Maybe he rode his bike to shul before Shabbos and locked/parked it there. So when he finished davening Maariv Motzei Shabbos, he went outside the shul, got on his bike, and started to ride home, when he got stopped by the 7-person Police Van.

    It doesn’t say in the story that the young man went home to get his bike before riding it!

    So stop saying he supposedly “had time to get his ID” before getting on the bike!

  • Paul G. Hoffman

    Everyone needs to lighten up here.
    riding a bike on sidewalk endangers pedestrians if they’re
    hit by the bicycle. This kid needs to comprehend this.

    but near arrest and filing of a criminal complaint- overkill
    by pd. s stern warning would suffice

    Paul Hoffman
    Berkeley

  • sarah

    i don’t know why ur all freaking out. it’s the law. u need to carry id with all the time if you’re over 18. they wont randomly stop u to check lol but if break a law or somethin and dont have id with u ur in trouble.

  • typical CH news

    this is actually quite funny… b/c a police van is not allowed to make an arrest..
    only cars ( both identified or unidentified)

  • to #88

    i admit, i didnt think about that. IF thats what happened, and thats a BIG if, then i apologize

    #90 agrees w/me

  • Inda Know

    You can always WALK your bicycle home on the sidewalk, or across the sidewalk, if you cannot safely ride it in the street while obeying all the usual traffic laws. RIDING on the sidewalk endangers pedestrians.

    P.S. You can also walk your bike down to the subway platform and take a train. But don’t ride it down there, especially down the stairs!

  • a piece of mind

    i have a ton to say but i cant because there are cops following us every were i bet there reading what i wrote now, looking for something to give us a ticket on!
    im seriuse! the police have a weekly quota they have to give out and they spend all thjere time looking for peaople to give tickets to instead of protecting us
    Did thy let him go cuz they had no time and they had to go give out more tickts!ooops i just said a little bit to much!i better be quiet now!

  • Milhouse

    #90, you are absolutely wrong. Who told you such nonsense as this? From which liar did you hear it? This is not (yet) a police state, and we are NOT required to carry ID with us. It is not the law, and it cannot be the law; Congress has no power to make such a law.

    However it is the case that if the police legitimately need to write you a ticket, because you were breaking the law, and you haven’t got ID, then they can hold you until they find out who you are, so they can fill out the ticket properly. They don’t have to take your word for it, because then everyone would just give a false name and address and walk away! But so long as you’re keeping the law you’re free to walk around without ID.

  • to #90

    dont listen to #95! hes an arrigant pig who doesnt know anything. you and i are right. i learned it in government class. by law you need to carry ID with you at all times otherwise the police CAN arrest you if you are stopped simply for not having ID!

  • Milhouse

    #96, What does “arrigant pig” mean? What language is that? Where did you take this “government class”? Is that taught in “government school”, or in Oholei Torah? Above all, why do you tell lies? Does it make you feel good inside? Do you think it’s fun? Does the knowledge that some idiot will believe you make you feel powerful and in control of your life?

  • to Mr 96 from a sovereign citizen

    you do not need to carry ID. you may only be arrested for not providing it if the police have cause to stop you, if not, you don’t need to even acknowledge them even if they speak to you. so as long as you are not spitting on the sidewalk or carrying in plain view an open container of alcohol. when you drive a motor vehicle, even more of you g-d given rights are surrendered to participate in the privileged of driving, so when you are pulled over any one of a million administratively passed laws by the DMV which never saw the light of the legislative process, you are thereby subject to a multiplicity of police intrusions.

    If you really wish to be free move else where. preferable someplace with lax pot laws and “shall issue” gun laws. such places tend to have the most hospitable police forces, with lower crime rates and an understanding of posse comitatus!

  • to millhouse

    Millhouse, I am not in Oheli Torah and would never go there but gezuntaheit to those who do-i wish them well. i am graduating college and will soon go to graduate school to become a therapist. so millhouse i am way more educated than you think. i live in crownheights and am well aware of the police activity. I think that everyone does not give them enough credit as one protected me from a homeless man trying to attack me. i think you all need to think before you speak because without the police their would indeed be alot more deaths.