Police in the town of Ramapo, New York, do not believe that the stabbing of an Orthodox Jewish man in Monsey on Wednesday was a hate crime.
Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel said in a statement on Facebook on Friday, “Although there are those who believe that this was a hate crime, the official position of the Town of Ramapo Police Department is, that at this time, there is no evidence to support that contention.”
“If anyone has facts that this is a hate crime, as defined in Section 485.05 of the NYS Penal Law, we strongly encourage them to come forward and report this information to our agency,” he added.
The victim was stabbed repeatedly in the attack at approximately 5:40 a.m., while he was making his way to a local synagogue for morning prayers, Yeshiva World News reported.
Emergency teams were dispatched to the scene of the stabbing, and reported finding the victim lying on the ground, bleeding.
The victim was conscious when emergency responders arrived, and informed them that he had been stabbed. The victim soon lost consciousness and was taken to hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.