Posted to Communal Matters on

Jew Arrested After Taking Red Light

CROWN HEIGHTS [CHI] — A Lubavitcher was arrested earlier this afternoon after he was pulled over for running a red light, in what should have been a routine traffic stop.

The scene unfolded on the 77th Precinct side of Eastern Parkway and Albany Avenue where the Jewish driver blew threw a steady red light right in front of two officers in a patrol car from the 77th Precinct.

When the officers ran the driver’s license, it came back with an arrest warrant for outstanding tickets from over ten years ago. The officers placed the driver under arrest and were about to whisk him off to the station house when the driver made a request to allow him to pray before taking him away.

Surprisingly the officers obliged, despite the highly irregular circumstances. They removed the handcuffs and allowed him to don his Tallis and Tefillin, and take the time he needed to complete his prayers.

To some the officers bizarre this accommodation may come as a big surprise, but given the fact that the officers were not from our local 71st Precinct, rather the 77th Precinct from across the road, may be the reason why.

Zaki Tamir and Eli Cohen both arrived at the scene just as the driver completed his prayers in an attempt to intervene on his behalf. When questioned if CrownHeights.info is allowed to publish a story on the incident Mr. Cohen responded “you can do whatever you want, I will not tell you what to do.” He added “that just think twice before bashing the police.”

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37 Comments

  • tgvzg

    that last sentence was not well said, it could be misunderstood and was not a very intelligent way of saying what needed to be said.
    the rest of the story is touching, what more can I say but to give credit to police who have that sensitivity.

  • go ch.info

    we love you crownheights.info. eli cohen- what a chicken, cant even stand behind his own rulings

  • Get over yourselves, Tamir & Cohen!

    Why should anyone bash the police? It’s a legitimate call, the police officers were very accommodating (it must have been a real sight to see) & the guy appears to deserve the arrest.

    Do I sense a teensy bit of sarcasm from Webby? Bad Webby! LOL

    PS…And if you DID bash the police? If they DID behave inappropriately (as you so rightly said, they’re not from the 71st) you’re not allowed to comment? We’re not, either?

    Pathetic idiots. We’ll say exactly what we want to say whenever we want. Last I looked, this was USA 2010 not Russia 1950.

  • no Tachanun today

    Good job there was a Siyum Sefer Torah – he musta finished davenning quicker!

  • Sooner or later

    Maybe sooner or later the CH community will realize that the police ARE on their side and believe it or not human.

    Are they perfect? No. Are lubavitchers perfect? Some may think they are.

    My guess is that more then 90% of the police interventions with us are fair and reasonable when properly analyzed.

  • MMB

    To all drivers who pray never to get stopped by the cops due to their license having been suspended , please remember, when skating on thin ice, don’t dance. If you know your license is in bad shape at least don’t give the cops a reason to stop you, putz.

  • huh?

    what the hell is that last sentence suppose to mean.
    its like a child trying to say something that just doesnt come out the way he meant it to be

  • We need more cops like these!

    Finally some cops who have a heart, and did their best to be accommodating. (When someone has a warrant out for their arrest, they have no choice at all in the matter).

  • update

    very nice crownheights.info!
    keep us update
    to publish these news is not police bashing at all
    please, keep up with all the news
    cops need to know that everything is known by everyone

  • Nothing done wrong

    If the CHInfo reporter was there NOT due to someone calling him, i.e., just in the right place at the right time to cover the story, well, no one is in violation of anything the Ravs just issues.

    It does not look to me like this story is any kind of putdown to the police, quite the opposite, in fact.

    Thank you, both CHInfo, and thank you to the courteous, reasonableness of the police officers who allowed this man, obviously distraught that he was caught doing something seriously wrong, to pray.

  • tipshim

    i hope this doesn’t become a habit. i have other things to do than write comments about our cash cow cops. well i guess all the negativity the cops were getting from your site, helped the situation. so bravo for the cops. so please people dont drive on the sidewalks, because you will get three tickets. 1: for driving on a sidewalk. 2: for blocking a sidewalk. 3: for parking on a sidewalk. amen ve amen.

  • lets face it

    Lets face it, it is nice to see that the police were sensitive to his religious needs and allowed him to daven even after he was arrested.
    Would the police from the 71st precinct allow that?

  • wow looks amazing

    waste of my tax money to arrest someone just b/c they didn’t pay a ticket from 10 yrs ago

  • Renegade

    What’s with the sensationalist headline?
    Even when the cops do good you need to make it sound bad? Instead of “Jew Arrested After Taking Red Light” -which implies he was arrested for the red light, you should have written “Jew with Arrest Warrant Allowed To Daven Before Being Arrested”

    I’ll be right there with you bashing the cops when they really are wrong but when they do good give them the credit.

  • keep up the good work

    this is a good example of what C’H INFO is all about. they say the story the way it is. no trying to suck up to any body. if the guy had tikets and they arested him and they gave him the chance to pray. thats the rite thing to do. if they didnt let that would have been also reported. you see they C’H.INFO are not only looking to bash the police. on many repotrs i see they give credit if they deserve it. so keep up the good work and dont be afraid to report the truth what ever the story is. its COL AND THE CHJCC that have a persnal agende and thats not for our good its there political agendas.where the pepole dont care of your agenda. we want to be protected from the bad cops and give credit to the good cops. thats crownhights.info the way i and many normal open minded see it

  • Hope this is the beginning of a new CHJC

    Nice Police! Nice that the CHJCC showed up, they really have to prove themselves now.

  • Out of Towner

    I do not think that people can be arrested for unpaid parking tickets. I thought that they can only arrest you for a moving violation. Any lawyers care to comment?

  • Anonymous

    Does anyone know if the guy really ran through the red light? I was crossing the street right behind this car in the same direction when he crossed the street and got pulled over and I crossed at the green. I thought he also did unless I wasn’t watching carefully enough.

  • awacs

    “upaid tickets lead to arrest, i dont understand the story? the law is the law”

    Well, arrest for driving while suspended (which I’m assuming is what happened – I don’t believe there were ‘arrest warrants’ on the guy’s driving record) is a judgment call for the cop – he *doesn’t have to* collar.

    Add in the fact that, (if the driver is a NY’er) he’s renewed his license already since the tickets (maybe once, maybe twice), and you could reasonably suspect that there’s a problem with the old tickets, and a collar is not justified.

    I’m just saying.

  • awacs

    “My guess is that more then 90% of the police interventions with us are fair and reasonable when properly analyzed.”

    And, if you’re right? The cops are screwing up 10% of the time? Ick. I wouldn’t be employed very long if I had a record like that. And we trust them with our lives! We trust them to carry guns! They’d better do a LOT better than 90%.

  • confused

    I was going to comment then I realized I am not allowed to but then this stoty shows cops can have compasion. I am noit sure if that’s bashing them or not.

  • to # 7

    I guess that you are not from here. The Rebbe has taught us how the community leaders should act etc as is known for those who experienced it on Shabbos before Shvuos 1973

  • Milhouse

    #7, It is NEVER safe or wise to assume that the police are on your side. Once in a while you run into a decent cop, but the majority are pigs.

  • elisha

    crownheights.info made a important point it was the 77th precinct that was nice not the 71st which still is on its learning curve

    it took a gracious officer to know that he had the guys licence plate registration number and address id and he wasnt going anywhere and he was kind to allow him the freedom to practice religion

    g-d will bless this officer

  • Mihouse has no idea

    Milhouse you have no idea what the job of a cop is like. Protecting your sorry behind while pathetic whiners like you complain with no words of appreciation is disgusting.

  • awacs

    “I do not think that people can be arrested for unpaid parking tickets. I thought that they can only arrest you for a moving violation. Any lawyers care to comment?”

    In New York, you are correct.

  • awacs

    “it took a gracious officer to know that he had the guys licence plate registration number and address id and he wasnt going anywhere and he was kind to allow him the freedom to practice religion”

    A gracious officer would have issued a summons for violation of VTL 511(1)(a) and sent the motorist on his way. He could do that, you know.

  • qestion / im confused

    thats wer the police were when the tires went missing?
    any way ,im really confused, i dont get the story ! can some one explain it in short and simple?

  • Milhouse

    #30, Stop whining, pig. You’re well paid and entrusted with enormous power over people, which you routinely misuse, you think laws are for the rest of us but not for you, and then you complain because there’s a bit of risk in your job. Your job is moderately risky, but far from the most dangerous one around; it’s not even in the top five. If you don’t like it, go do something else.

  • Milhouse

    #30, How many times have you lied on the stand? How often do you use your siren when there is no emergency, in order to evade the traffic laws? How many tickets have you written just because you have a quota, figuring that the court can sort it out?

  • Milhouse

    #34, I wrote that policing wasn’t in the top five most dangerous jobs. In fact it isn’t even in the top ten. Driving a taxi is more dangerous than being a cop. Roofing is far more dangerous. So is collecting garbage. Not to mention the really dangerous jobs: logging, flying planes, and fishing.

    If cops demand that we respect them, and let them get away with breaking the law and treating us like crap, just because they “put their lives on the line for us”, then shouldn’t that mean we should do the same and even more for taxi drivers, garbage collectors, roofers, electricians, fishermen, loggers, etc?

  • go-d-s right hand man

    dream on~~~moshiach tzeitin~~~~maybe rubashkin should apply for release as he wants to count the omer as a free man in the USA