In Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Jewish community leaders are working to deescalate the unrest that has emerged following a troubling confrontation between a Jewish man and a black resident of the neighborhood, an altercation that has stirred fears of renewed racial tensions in the area.
The incident, which took place several weeks ago and was caught on surveillance footage, shows a 30-year-old frum resident shoving Troy McLeod, a wheelchair-bound African-American man. The altercation reportedly stemmed from a dispute over McLeod’s dogs, which were being walked without leashes. The push caused McLeod to topple out of his wheelchair.
In the aftermath, the 30-year-old was taken into custody and charged with second-degree assault and aggravated menacing. He was later released on his own recognizance and is due back in court on July 17.
A demonstration is set to take place today at the intersection of Eastern Parkway and Kingston Avenue. The rally is being organized by local activist and pastor Kevin McCall.
Dubbed the “Peaceful Rally for Troy McLeod,” the event aims, according to organizers, “to condemn the actions and unite Brooklyn.”
Initially, the protest was planned for the area directly in front of 770 Eastern Parkway, the global headquarters of Chabad. However, after appeals from various community figures, organizers agreed to relocate the gathering across the street, in front of a Bank of America branch. Community members voiced concern over a flyer for the event, which originally claimed that McLeod had been “Assaulted in a wheelchair by members of the Orthodox Jewish community.”
“The messaging was reframed as a peace rally, and I was told that speakers will be calling for unity,” said Rabbi Yaakov Behrman, a prominent Crown Heights representative. “I absolutely condemn this act of violence — but we cannot allow it to be used as an excuse to promote antisemitism or fuel discrimination. I sincerely hope the organizers honor their commitments.”
In a show of solidarity and moral clarity, Jewish leaders from the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council issued a public statement denouncing the attack. “There is absolutely no justification for assaulting someone in a wheelchair — ever,” declared Rabbi Shmuel Rosenstein, Rabbi Zalman Friedman, and Rabbi Yaakov Behrman in the joint statement.
Some of McLeod’s neighbors, however, allege that tensions between him and others in the area had been building over time, citing prior complaints about his unleashed dogs scaring local children and dismissive responses to parents’ concerns. Nonetheless, Jewish community leaders emphasized that no matter the context, violence is never acceptable.
{Matzav.com}