Councilman Stephen Levin, last seen condemning a knockout punch on a Hasidic man, is now speaking out against an “appalling attack” in Williamsburg earlier this month. This time, it’s a case of Hasidic-on-black violence.
According to Levin, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is currently investigating a possible bias crime in which a 22-year-old student, Taj Patterson, was attacked by a group of men on Dec. 1. That’s the same day as the alleged knockout punch — which occurred later in the day, just 10 blocks away — though it’s unclear if there’s a connection between the incidents.
“I am thoroughly shocked and deeply troubled by this appalling attack,” says Levin in a statement sent over to B+B minutes ago. “Acts like this have no place in our society and our community will not tolerate them.”
Details of the attack were published earlier today: Patterson, who is gay, told the Daily News he was walking home around 4:30 a.m. when, at Flushing Ave. and Spencer St., more than a dozen men surrounded him. One of them kicked him repeatedly while using a homophobic slur, giving him a broken eye socket, a torn retina, blood clotting, and cuts and bruises.
According to the Post, police said the fashion student was drinking on a party bus when he left on foot and was attacked by the group of at least five men.