What to Know
- Police are looking for a man they say threw rocks at and punched another man working out in a Brooklyn park
- Police have not classified the incident as a hate crime pending further investigation
- According to the NYPD, the incident took place in Crown Heights, just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning
Police are looking for a man they say bashed a Jewish man working out in a Brooklyn park with a paving stone in a violent and possibly bias incident.
According to the NYPD, the incident took place in Crown Heights, just after 7:30 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Police tell News 4 that 63-year-old Abraham Gopin was working out in the park located on Buffalo Avenue. That's when another man allegedly yelled a Jewish slur at him and threw a rock in his direction, but missed.
The father of 10 confronted the alleged rock-thrower who then started punching him, police say, adding that Gopin fought back, before the the other man threw the massive paving stone at him.
Police say that a struggle ensued between the two men before the alleged assailant fled the park on foot.
A good Samaritan called for an ambulance and the alleged victim was taken to Maimonides Medical Center where he was treated for injuries to his forehead and teeth, according to authorities.
Clothes Gopin was wearing were soaked in blood. He lost two teeth and broke his nose in the attack, and received several stitches. Gopin is now recovering at home.
Police say they are looking for a man about six feet tall, last seen wearing a white shirt and black shorts. He can be seen on video recorded at the park that morning.
Local
The Anti-Defamation League has posted a $5,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest, saying the incident may have had anti-Semitic overtones.
However, police are not yet classifying the incident as a bias crime, pending further investigation.
