Posted to Communal Matters, Crime on
Police officers taking the suspect into custody.

Suspicious Man Arrested After Taking Pictures of 770

Police arrested a Middle-Eastern-looking man outside 770 this afternoon. Alert passersby noticed he was taking photos of ‘Jewish’ buildings on Eastern Parkway and around Crown Heights, and called the police.

The incident occurred at around 3:30pm; the man was observed taking photos of Oholei Torah, 770 and the Jewish Children’s Museum. Police approached the man and found a pocketknife in his possession; they took him into custody while they checked out his background.

Sources said that the man was simply a mentally unwell individual, and determined that he was not a security threat.

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37 Comments

  • glad this guy wasn't dangerous but...

    I was waiting to get buzzed into a local school and a middle-eastern looking man asked me what the building was. of course i didn’t answer him but it freaked me out!! while i don’t want to walk around paranoid, better safe than sorry.

  • i saw one by Lubavitcher yeshiva

    i saw one by Lubavitcher yeshiva.
    i saw a guy taking pictures of the school, (dont think its the same guy as in picture above), and i went into the school and told the security guard. i felt a little silly, but now after reading this, i know i did the right thing.

  • Milhouse

    Taking pictures on the street is legal, and protected by the first amendment. If that’s all he was doing then the police had no right to stop him unless they had reasonable suspicion that he was committing some crime. Of course if challenged they’ll lie and claim they could see the knife from the outside or something.

    • Possible Terrorist

      The police have every right to stop a potential terrorist and check out his background. Just because he appeared mentally unstable means nothing. Dovid Hamelech (A”H) once feigned insanity too, l’havdil.

    • mentally unstable??

      I’m sure that is what he would like them to believe. I think he had to be pretty stable to know which buildings to photograph…

    • to 6

      he was carrying a knife that’s why they arrested him not for talking pictures although who knows he could have killed someone he was mental

    • Milhouse

      “Possible Terrorist”: Everyone is a “potential terrorist”. That just means “a person”. And the police have no right at all to stop anyone and check anything, without reasonable suspicion that he is doing something illegal. Taking pictures is not legitimate grounds for suspecting anything, and they have no right to even ask someone why he is taking pictures.

      “to 6”: They didn’t know he was carrying a knife until they searched him. They had no right to stop him and search him in the first place, unless they had reasonable grounds then to suspect that he had the knife, or that he was doing something else illegal. Of course if he sues they will lie, and claim they could see the knife before they approached him, but we all know it’s a lie.

    • RPC and Investigative Detention

      Reasonable Probable Cause had a very low threshold test allowing for investigative detention. Running from police has been ruled RPC for Investigative Detention even though “running” is a legal activity. Context is the issue – when considering all the surrounding circumstances. Something that Milhouse has trouble understanding.

    • Milhouse

      Taking pictures, however, is a first-amendment protected activity, and thus cannot create RPC. You ought to know that, especially if you’re a cop, or you’re eventually going to lose your house to a section 1983 suit.

    • When suspicious people hang outside your home

      you will wish they are questioned, ordered to not loiter and if they linger, you would want them placed in custody.

    • Running is also a protected right

      …but running from an officer is RPC, no matter that running is legal and a protected mobility right and expression. Same with multiple activities – in circumstances of suspicion with articulable cause is grounds for investigative detention.

    • Milhouse

      Running is not a constitutionally protected right. Exercising a constitutional right cannot be articulable cause for suspicion.

  • Another by Bais Rivkah

    I saw a guy taking pictures of Bais Rivkah yesterday…Not the same guy though. The guy I saw was slimmer and wearing a blue jacket.

  • Should not have let him go...

    He probably has no history yet. What are they waiting for? for him to blow someone up?!?!?! he will have a history then…

    • Milhouse

      There’s no more reason to suspect him than you. Should they lock you up, just in case you blow something up?!

    • Reasonableness

      Difficult to use reason and logic with Milhouse. Suspicious person without explanation acting unusually vs normal suspicious behavior.

    • Milhouse

      I agree, you have difficulty using reason and logic when dealing with me, or with anyone else who is reasonable and logical. You can fake it with those who, like you, wouldn’t recognize reason or logic if it walked up to them and shook their hands, but not with those who know what it is.

  • Law

    He probebly gave up he right by talking to the police let this be a lesson learned DONT talk to police

  • Agreed Milhouse

    Photography on a public street is first amendment basics.

    I would sue. Too bad people don’t know half their rights.

  • Lisa

    Why people judge quickly that cops are doing noting but picking in people… COULD this guy taking pictures of children???? Could this guy have a Warrent????? Not because you are taking pictures u are a good guy, maybe he isn’t on our side… Wake up people… Don’t believe everything u see…

    • Milhouse

      It doesn’t matter whether he’s a good guy or a bad guy, he has the right to take pictures of whatever he likes. The cops have no right to question someone just for taking pictures, whether of buildings, children, or anything else.

    • Yossel

      You can thank September 11 2001 for our paranoid and sick society we now live in. Everytime I hear of of a bombing or shooting, I expect to hear an Arab name. Yes, some aren’t Arabs, but why would this guy be taking pictures of Jewish buildings, especially if he’s not Jewish? Until we resolve the problem of Arab terror, expect to lose your rights, one by one.

  • Eltee

    He was properly questioned and he willingly identified himself. A name check revealed he had an outstanding arrest warrant. Good police work.

    • Milhouse

      It doesn’t matter if it’s an intimidation tactic, it’s still legal and the police have no right to interfere. It’s no worse than taking down the names of people who break a boycott, which the Supreme Court ruled was legal.

  • good work police

    they can be kidnapers or something else bad it’s dangerus and if you see something suspicious tell the police and dont feel silly we need more police around crown height!!!!!!!!

  • Nemon

    Hey Milhouse,

    Who’s side are YOU on, anyway????
    Maybe we need to take a good look at YOU, boy!

    • There is no greater injustice...

      then a criminal who cloaks himself in with the rights and values of a just society to perpetuate harm on civilized people. There rights are not without limits when abused for criminality as seen by for example frisk and search or racial profiling.

    • Milhouse

      You couldn’t be more wrong. There is a far greater injustice than that, which is a government that goes rogue, and molests decent people going about their lawful business, demanding that they prove they’re not criminals. When the cops are the criminals, that’s when we’re in real trouble. And that is exactly what a cop is, when he presumes to stop people without being able to articulate reasonable grounds for suspecting them of a crime.

  • Evidence based medicine

    So which police-man gets the neurologic authority to diagnose this man as having “mentally unwell” ?