The British Hackney Police said Tuesday that they arrested a man who allegedly assaulted “a person pushing a pram.”
The police said that “members of the public” had detained the man just minutes after the purported incident occurred and that the man was later “released on bail.”
Please see our statement regarding this incident below ⬇ pic.twitter.com/J2pGUu1DCM
— Hackney Police (@MPSHackney) June 18, 2024
Shomrin of Stamford Hill, a Jewish neighborhood watch organization, posted footage of the incident and said that the assault took place June 13 during the Jewish holiday of Shavous. Shomrim stated that the video displayed “the terrifying moments of the attempted kidnap of a Jewish child and baby.”
💥 Attempted Kidnap caught on camera
📹 Clear CCTV footage shows the terrifying moments of the attempted kidnap of a Jewish child and baby.
🚨 The horrific attack on the Jewish children took place on Thursday 13th June (Shavuos) at 11:56 am outside Lubavitch House on Stamford… pic.twitter.com/QxQYf6wpBb
— Shomrim (Stamford Hill) (@Shomrim) June 17, 2024
The video showed a boy dressed in Jewish religious grab pushing a pram when another stepped in front of him and appeared to grab it. This act led to a struggle between the two for control. The Jewish boy managed to prevail and the other person ran away.
The boy pushing the pram was later identified as a 12-year-old and the occupant was his 2-year-old sibling, The Jewish Chronicle reported.
“When the boy resisted, the suspect assaulted him by pulling his payos and throwing off his kippah,” Shomrim said, the outlet reported. The cries from the 12-year-old during the alleged attack reportedly “alerted nearby individuals” who detained the suspect.
“Witnesses believe this was a [racist] attack,” Shomrim tweeted. The victim has since come forward, and police said they were still investigating the matter.
“The motives of the suspect will be kept under consideration,” Hackney Police said, without revealing if they knew what those motives were. (RELATED: AOC Finally Found An Anti-Israel Rally That’s Too Antisemitic For Her)
The Shomrim neighborhood watch organization was set up in 2008 in the area Hackney is located, according to their website.
