A Jewish man quietly walking down the street in Brooklyn Monday afternoon became the victim of a random slapping, and police are now investigating the assault as a possible hate crime.
The man was in the 100 block of Lynch Street in Williamsburg about 4:30 p.m. when the assailant allegedly - without provocation or even exchanging words - slapped him across the face.
The suspect fled up Harrison Avenue, cops say, and the Hate Crime Task Force is now investigating.
The suspect, captured on surveillance video just before the incident, is a Black male, about 5'10" tall, with a medium build. He was last seen in a yellow shirt, black pants, black boots, a black hat and with a dark-colored backpack.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can submit tips on the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
The attack comes amid a broad rise in hate crimes in the city. Year-to-date they're up 15% -- and in July, hate crimes against Jews more than doubled from the prior year.
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