A man from New York City has been taken into custody and accused of committing a hate crime after allegedly yelling “Free Palestine” and then attacking a Jewish man near a synagogue in Brooklyn. The incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on Saturday in the Crown Heights neighborhood, close to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement headquarters. Vincent Sumpter, a 22-year-old resident of Brooklyn, reportedly stabbed the 33-year-old victim in the abdomen following a verbal altercation.
According to reports by the police, the victim confronted Sumpter about repeatedly shouting “Free Palestine.” Sumpter’s response was a threatening question, “Do you want to die?” before reportedly stabbing the victim with a knife. The injured victim, who has not been publicly identified by law enforcement, was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition. Sumpter pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime and other related offenses during his arraignment on Sunday.
Sumpter currently remains in custody after a bail of $100,000 cash or $250,000 bond was set. The Legal Aid Society is representing him but declined to provide any comments on the case. A local rabbi named Yaacov Behrman confirmed on social media that the victim is part of the Jewish community and is anticipated to recover from the attack due to the swift response of paramedics and residents who assisted in detaining Sumpter until the authorities arrived.
The incident has raised concerns about the rise of anti-Semitic acts fueled by hate speech, as highlighted by Behrman and Mark Treyger, the chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, who expressed outrage over the attack. This event follows recent incidents, including the arrest of a woman, Taylor Pelton, on hate crime charges for her participation in vandalizing homes, including that of the Brooklyn Museum’s director, with red paint during pro-Palestinian protests in June.