A man was taken into custody after he intentionally rammed his car into the Chabad-Lubavitch world headquarters in Brooklyn, sparking a hate crime investigation by the NYPD, officials said the incident happened around 8:40 p.m. on Wednesday, there were no injuries reported. According to Gothamist, officers who were assigned to a detail outside the Crown Heights building took the suspect into custody after witnessing the vehicle striking the rear door several times.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch at a press conference noted that subsequent to the arrest, the NYPD's bomb squad swept the vehicle and determined there were no explosive devices, “Out of an abundance of caution, the NYPD has significantly increased security around houses of worship throughout all five boroughs,” she stated on Gothamist, detailing the deployment of enhanced patrols and bomb-squad resources. The FOX 5 New York also highlighted that the headquarters was full at the time of the incident with people gathered for a major Chabad event.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, speaking on the matter, called the event "deeply alarming" and stressed that "antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable," a sentiment obtained from his comments to the press. Cell phone footage circulating on social media showed the gray Honda sedan plowing into the building's wooden doors, reversing, and then accelerating again; a bystander's video captured the point where the man in a sweatshirt and shorts emerged from the car and could be heard claiming "it slipped!" police said sirens blared as officers quickly handcuffed the suspect and diffused the potentially volatile situation all while bystanders who'd been attending a significant religious occasion within the institution, their peace shattered, watched the premises transform into a crime scene.
Rabbi Yaacov Behrman of the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters posted online about the incident and mentioned a prior trespass incident involving the man at a different Chabad house in New Jersey, whereas New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated that her team was coordinating with the NYPD to assist with the investigation. According to Gothamist, Harmeet Dhillon, from the U.S. Department of Justice, also confirmed a civil rights probe into the incident has commenced, and while the driver's identity and any concrete charges are pending, officials reassure the public that they will provide updates as the investigation unfolds.
