An attack on a disabled man in the Crown Heights neighborhood of New York by Jewish men has sparked criticisms of religion. The disabled man named Troy McLeod was taking his dogs for a walk in the neighborhood when he was viciously beaten.
A viral clip captured the assault, showing two men in black confronting the disabled man on the sidewalk. Suddenly, one of the men, identified as Levi Kabakov, pushed McLeod out of his wheelchair. A woman who recorded the video can be heard raising an alarm and shouting, “Call 911! How can you do that to a man in a wheelchair?”
Speaking to News 12 Brooklyn, McLeod said the confrontation began after Kabakov accused his dogs of scaring his kids and ordered him to take them away. McLeod disclosed that he obliged, and his dogs were muzzled at the time and posed no threat. However, the Jewish man went on to attack him.
“I was in panic, and I was trying to get up, thank God someone was there,” McLeod opened up about the incident. “It felt like a vengeful vibe to me because, to the extent of the situation, there was no need for it.”
The disabled man revealed that his pets didn’t cause any harm, even when he was in danger. “My dog did not do anything to his children, and even when he was violating me, my dog still didn’t involve himself to hurt him,” he recounted.
Revealing more about the assault, McLeod told the news outlet that his attacker struck him with a wooden block and a bench. Now, he suffers from pain in his hand as a result of blocking the attack.
The incident sparked outrage amongst netizens, with some criticizing religion. One netizen wrote, “Religion was a mistake.” Another followed the same train of thought, commenting, “Ultra religious groups are some of the worst human beings on the planet.”
A third netizen commented, “Imagine the uproar if it was the other way around? Trump would personally get involved.” Another replied, “Wheelchair man would be sent to an El Salvador prison.” A fifth comment read, “They’ll just call him an n-word and antisemitic, and they’ll instantly become the good guys.”
Kabakov was charged with second-degree assault and aggravated menacing and was arraigned in court. His next court appearance is on July 17. No matter how offensive a situation is, violence is never the solution.
