A Brooklyn woman has filed a $1.25 million claim against New York City alleging the police failed to protect her when she was attacked by a group of Orthodox Jewish men and boys during a protest in Crown Heights this spring, according to the Gothamist.
According to the claim filed with the city Comptroller's office, the woman, who asked to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, said she was assaulted on April 24 outside the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters on Eastern Parkway. The demonstration was held against Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and drew a large counter-protest.
The woman said she was not participating in the protest but stepped outside her home after hearing helicopters overhead. She said members of the crowd surrounded her, kicked her, threw objects and shouted threats. She also said strobe lights were directed at her to disorient her, the news site reported.
Video circulated online showed police officers standing by as the crowd closed in on her. One officer eventually guided her through the crowd toward a police vehicle as she tried to escape.
The claim argues the NYPD's inaction amounted to discriminatory treatment based on perceived political views, violating her First Amendment rights, Gothamist said.
“A police officer standing there while someone is getting assaulted and if the police officer doesn't try to arrest that person or do something to stop it, what essentially the police officer is saying is: ‘Go ahead, you're you're allowed to assault this person,” said Leo Glickman, the woman's attorney.
The claim is a required step before any lawsuit can be filed against the city. The comptroller's office will review the filing, which could result in a settlement or further legal action.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident, and Crime Stoppers has offered a $3,500 reward for information. A detective from the Internal Affairs Bureau and a hate-crimes investigator have contacted the woman. No arrests have been announced.
