The victim - a 20-year-old college student and the son of a cop - has met with prosecutor Charles Hynes about the April14 attack in a neighborhood with a long history of racial tension.
“He's an excellent young man, and I met with him personally to assure him that I would do everything in my power to bring to justice those who humiliated him,” Hynes said Wednesday.
Grand jury to investigate attack on black man by Jews in Crown Heights
The Brooklyn district attorney will seat an investigative grand jury to probe the beating of an unarmed black man by two Jewish men in Crown Heights, the Daily News has learned.
The victim – a 20-year-old college student and the son of a cop – has met with prosecutor Charles Hynes about the April14 attack in a neighborhood with a long history of racial tension.
“He’s an excellent young man, and I met with him personally to assure him that I would do everything in my power to bring to justice those who humiliated him,” Hynes said Wednesday.
Daily News columnist Errol Louis revealed details of the troubling attack in Wednesday’s editions, citing fears of unrest if arrests are not made soon.
Police sources say their investigation has been slowed by the refusal of neighborhood Hasidic residents to cooperate with authorities.
“Right now, the Hasidic community is taking a page from the rappers’ ‘don’t snitch’ campaign,” said a police source. The investigative grand jury can subpoena witnesses and compel them to testify.
Andrew Charles, a sophomore at Kingsbridge Community College, was walking along Albany Ave. when a white attacker on a bicycle sprayed him with Mace, police sources said.
A GMC Envoy then pulled up, with a second man emerging from the vehicle to smash Charles in the back and arm with a nightstick, police said. An adviser to the Charles family said both the attackers were wearing yarmulkes.
Charles was treated at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center and released.
Hynes’ grand jury move was hailed by the Charles family.
“When he spoke to them Monday, he pretty much said he was going to do everything in his power,” said family adviser Taharka Robinson of Hynes. “He’s following through now, and I really have to commend him for that.”
Police said the SUV, with its front plate missing, was later recovered – and they identified Menachem Ezagui, a member of a local Hasidic anti-crime patrol, as its suspected driver.
Ezagui arrived at the 71st Precinct stationhouse last week with a lawyer, but refused to answer questions or cooperate with the investigation, police sources said.
The victim could not identify the driver in a lineup, and he was released while the investigation continued, the sources said.
Police also went to the alleged driver’s apartment on Eastern Parkway and broke down the door when the people inside refused to let them enter, sources said.
The suspected driver’s brother, Aron Ezagui, was arrested, although the charges were dismissed. The family has since filed a complaint with the police Civilian Complaint Review Board about the incident, sources said.
The Brooklyn neighborhood erupted in riots 17 years ago after a 7-year-old black child was accidentally killed by a Jewish driver. The ensuing violence left a Jewish student mortally wounded by a black mob.
Neighborhood leaders will gather to discuss the Charles case this afternoon at the Crown Heights Community Mediation Center.
joe
how come i have never heard of this
Crown Heights Community Mediation Center. i guess its another one of those government subsides programs that us yiden never get any thing from
Outsider
Can’t the authorities be sued for unequal treatment under the law? This is plainly discriminatory. It shouldn’t be hard to show that similar cases have not been taken as seriously.
Pissed off
Whats the hell??????????????????????
They attack Jews every dam day in our neighborhood!!!!!
They are gonna investigate it?????
indiscrepancy
y does it say the jewish student was mortally wounded. he was killed. and if they want to say that he died of wounds than they should also mentions that the 7 yr. old black victim also died of wounds from the crash.
Double standard
Why did this level of attention never occur for murders and beatings when Jews are the victims? Are riots the only thing police care about, or does one need to a father in the NYPD for such swift action?
lyb
anyone know what realy happened? there has to be a story behind this.
boruch ben Tzvi(A H)hakohaine hoffinger
B”H
What proof does Mr. Hynes have?
Give the victim a lie detector test.
What happened on Monday in Rochester park?
4 young (about 12-14 year old) Jewish boys went to the park to play ball. They were accosted by about 7 Black males some about 5ft 8 inches tall.
The Blacks demanded money and the mitts. Then they hit some of the little kids.
Some kids went over to a police car and the police said this is not an arrest able offense?!
Sounds strange. This is law and order?
CM
You hear that? Yaakov Rosenbaum was “mortally wounded”? I thought he was brutally murdered.
It is wrong to use our hands against anybody – “Hayodayim yedei Eisov.” But why the slant against the Jews? Jewish students are beaten every week in Crown Heights and I have yet to see the police do “everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice”.
OUTRAGED!
Ridiculous!
Ok, Channel 12 gave attention to this crime, but they did the same when it happened to us. So that’s sort of justed.
BUT NOW!
THE POLICE ARE PAYING WAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION TO SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERYDAY TO US, AND IT HAPPENS TO US THEY DO NOTHING (or arrest a Shomrim member)
happy
my blood is boiling. where the h–l is everone to march the street to what going on here for years. O i forgot were to busy its not my family who got hurt. WHAT THE HE_L
Chona Nosson Gewirtz
The Crown Heights Mediation Center was started by Simcha Hellinger quite a few years ago and is located on Kingston Avenue between Lincoln Place and S. John’s. It is open to Jews and non-Jews alike. Our Lincoln Place Block Association holds its monthly meetings there.
Chana
nothing like this is done when it comes to beating the jews justa whole press conference that did nothing
when will these blacks leave us alone and just stay on utic avenue?/
HACHOO
WHY ARE WE SUCH LEMICHELS?
boruch ben Tzvi(A H)hakohaine hoffinger
B”H
Don’t put too much faith in the ‘Grand Jury,’ it’s not so grand.
A carpenter I know who lived on Union St. used to park his van on Carroll near Troy. He always had a dog in there because of the expensive equipment.
One night he didn’t have the dog. A local young troublemaker (male Black), drug user, stole all his tools.
The Black man bragged to an older Black friend about stealing from a Jew. The thief didn’t know this was the carpenter’s foreman!
The carpenter called the police and they found the thief.
A ‘grand jury’ was called and the carpenter arrived wearing a yarmulka. The ‘grand jury’ decided not to indict!
The prosecutor said that this was an excellent case and told the carpenter that it might have been the yarmulka he was wearing that affected the jury.The prosecutor said that he should have worn a baseball cap.
America doesn’t observe the 7 Noahide Laws and one can’t always get justice.
We live in a progressive and modern society.
ex ch-r
the reason theyre launching this investigation and all is because the kids father is a cop.
unfortunately, its morphed into a racialy charged can of worms
may gd protect us
Isser ben Zvi
There are assaults against Jews several times a month, never makes the papers, and many of the incidents are conveniently lost by the local precinct. Why does this not make the papers. We have had killings, young men have the heads beaten in with base ball bats, arms broken and constant citizens in CH are being called anti semetic slurs daily…is this Justice….When Police are acquitted what happens the entire city prepares itself for riots and bias attacks. But when something happens to individuals who are not of color…what is done? What do Black leaders have to say…NOTHING…… Democracy?????