Man Wielding Knife, Shouting ‘Allah Akbar’ Apprehended

A shirtless man was apprehended Friday afternoon after he chased a Jewish man while wielding a large knife and shouting Allah Akbar on Montgomery Street.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon at around 1:40pm in front of 899 Montgomery Street near the corner of Schenectady Avenue, where a man was brandishing a knife and shouting while running in and out of the building.

A Jewish man who was in his car and waiting for the traffic signal to change observed the scene when suddenly the man turned his attention to him and began approaching his vehicle. “I was very afraid so I made the turn and stopped to keep an eye on him while I called 911” he said. “As I was giving the information to 911 the man stripped off his sweatshirt, then his shirt and was still running in and out of the building and shouting at people while holding the knife.”

Realizing suddenly that he was being watched, he began running after the Jewish man, who after waiting for police quickly called Shomrim. “He was running at me and still shouting when I realized that what he was shouting was ‘Allah Akbar’.”

A large number of Shomrim volunteers responded to the area and with the assistance of two plainclothes police officers from the 67th Precinct who happened to be passing by they managed to apprehend the suspect.

Shomrim located and secured the knife, which the suspect dropped while running.

While being taken into custody the suspect was observed wearing a pair of latex gloves and told police that he was on medication.

Police sources said that the suspect is 19-years-old and lives in a nearby building. He has a criminal record along with psych history.

Hate Crimes Task Force was notified about the incident and is investigating, in the meantime the perpetrator was charged with menacing. He was taken to Kings County Hospital for a psych evaluation.

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18 Comments

  • Anonymous

    Hashem should watch over everyone Boruch Hashem nothing happened.But I guess that’s why you pay 1.5 million for a house.

  • arrest

    arrest the man!!!! lock him up for life!!!! so they gona let him out of kings county then what????? hes gona stab somone

  • Charge was only "menacing"?

    What about the fact that the perp was brandishing a lethal weapon?

    This is more than “menacing” — which could have been the charge if the incident had taken place without a weapon!

  • Mey

    @comment1: Terrorist “allahuakbars” are not just limited to crown heights. You need to get out more!

  • rabbi zalman Goldstein is a hero!

    Thank you rabbi Goldstein for keeping an eye on the man to insure he gets taken off the streets!
    And thank you for staying in the police department almost until shabbos – to make sure the police did their part.

  • yakov

    this ken thompson really hates our community, in williamsburg they would demand he he be charged with attempted murder, we are so weak here in CH.

  • Jay Sorid

    @ # 5 an # 1 –

    First, start using your first and last name.
    I am tired of listening to a bunch of Jews who are afraid to use their names. The comment section says names.

    Second, Crown Heights is oversaturated with homeless, mentally ill drug abusers, and the Jewish community’s lack of political strength is why this continues to happen.

    Third, the lack of political strength is due to a lack of confidence in the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council , who hasn’t had elections in how many years ?

    Fourth, start coming to the monthly Community Board hearings to fight a 50 plus unit building for the seriously mentally ill with drug addiction and homeless on Maple St between Schenectady and Utica to prevent tsuris from happening to our fellow Jews, and my friends, and their children.

    The politicians react proportionally to the amount of political interest in an issue, and the amount of Jews who show up at public meetings.

    • Citizen Berel

      Seriously bad idea ^ kids. Seriously.

      Stay anonymous, it’s a big bad world and there is nothing to gain by putting your name forever and ever unless there is something to gain in putting your name out there.

      So kids, less facebook, less public exposure, speak your mind, and keep your distance, even that means that special people like Mr. Sorid will be more special than you are special.

  • mario mendoza

    to jay sorid
    so true about both accounts
    a ) we dont have reps in chcc
    b) and jews are to bizzy
    making $$$$$
    c) to pay 1.5 mill for there
    homes
    d) and dont protect there
    family from the sickos

  • the truth of the matter, these

    people aren’t getting the proper care like l said before our hormones are the center of our bodies, if they are not balance,it affect the whole body, including the brain kings country are pushing holistic care in the hospital , it’s tuff, we are surround by close mind people in all directions, the mind and body work together, we must worked together all of our lives are in danger if we do not, he’s right we need leaders in crownheights, new elections imm and yes please do go to the board meetings, l wouldn’t hear anything but l’m for them
    serel chana maness

  • cameras

    maybe he is on meds, but he is aware enough to scream that evil phrase. This should not be taken so lightly.
    where did he hear this phrase, what are his associations, has he ever had dealings with muslims, etc. etc. this needs to be worked on carefully

  • Resident

    @jay sorrid, how does one get in touch with you. there are many young people who want to fight the cause and get together. We are willing to help. All of us are suffering from the lack of housing and we are all working. please post contact info instead of fighting a lone war.

  • Jay Sorid

    I welcome others to join the Mensch Club and help expand efforts at Jewish activism by stopping by the Shul at Kingsbrook Shul on a Friday or Saturday night to join others in this endeavor.

    Mensch Club members attend Community Board 9 meetings on the fourth Tuesday of every month (this April 26) at Empire Middle School ( MS 61) on NY Ave & Empire across from the 71st Police Precinct at 7 pm.

    I will also be attending the 71st Precinct meeting located at the Empire Middle School ( MS 61) at 7:30 pm on April 21 ( 3rd Thurs of every month) to find out if the attacker with the knife was part of a non-profit supportive housing apartment within a building or some other homeless program which may not be providing the requisite support services necessary.

    The Mensch Club will be also demanding that NYS Senator Jessie Hamilton strengthen legislation restricting oversaturation of social services in certain neighborhoods. However, the politicians react to numbers, so we need your support by attending community events and registering to vote in the democratic primary, whether you are a Democrat or Republican, since you can vote for whoever in the general election.

    We need Moshiach now, not Mashuganas tomorrow.

    Jay Sorid
    jaysorid@aol.com

  • swm

    Jay sorid
    you sound like some positive action which we need. But we need positive, clean workers. Not those for money, and not agendas other than wanting to service the General Public. As the Rebbe said, we are Citizens. Please tell us more about yourself.

  • Jay Sorid

    @17 –

    I am a non-Orthodox, conservative Jewish attorney from LI who owns a property in the neighborhood and has volunteered at Community Board 9 (Crown Heights), Community Board 17 (Flatbush),protested in the snow for weeks against what I perceive as a security threat to Jews from a mental health facility. I have delayed selling my investment property for two years because I wanted to fight for the neighborhood instead.
    .
    I am doing this because I believe, as a grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, there is an obligation of Jews to do everything they can do (using one’s resources or talents) to protect other Jews.

    Most of the Jews in neighborhood didn’t care about the issue like I did. Then there was a stabbing at 770. Then the Hatzolah slashing. Then the stabbing on Empire and Albany. Then some Jews started talking about the issue. And now, a friend of mine ( he has 9 kids) and a member of the Kingsbrook Shul is threatened with a knife by someone who shouts “Allah Akbar”.

    There is an undeniable risk that a mentally ill drug addicted anti-semite will act out in a random crime when not taking his/her drugs.

    I ask only that Jews in the community be pro-active and make safety a priority by increased civic participation, contribution, sacrifice and empowerment, The Shomrim can’t be everywhere at anytime.

    The soul sparks of all of us need to activate the seeds of the grassroots so that the links between Jews can be strengthened.