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Brooklyn synagogue car attack: Dramatic moment suspect is arrested as he declares, ‘I dunno, it slipped’ | Video
The first words uttered by a man who rammed his car into Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn was revealed in a video of his arrest.
The first words uttered by a man who was taken into custody after repeatedly ramming his car into a Brooklyn synagogue Wednesday night, January 28, has been revealed. Stepping out of the car after the incident, the driver was heard claiming that “it slipped,” in a dramatic video that also showed him being taken into custody.
The suspect was taken into custody after bystanders identified him as the driver, the video shows.
Shocking video circulating on social media shows the Honda Sedan with New Jersey plates backing up and plowing into a side entrance of Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters at least four times during a holy celebration. The suspect has been identified as a man who once sought “guidance” from Jewish leaders, the New York Post reported.
Suspect’s first words after alleged attack revealed
Police responded to the Eastern Parkway building for a “motor vehicle collision” at about 8:45 pm and found that the car had crashed into the doors of a sloped driveway at the synagogue. A video shows the driver, who has not been publicly named yet, stepping out of the car and telling a Jewish man, “I dunno, it slipped! It slipped, you f–king a–hole!”
Read More | Brooklyn synagogue attack: Man repeatedly slams car into Chabad World Headquarters; shocking video emerges
The driver told police that he suffered some type of mechanical issue. He made no terroristic statements after he was taken into custody, sources said, per the outlet.
Yaacov Behrman, the Chabad’s spokesperson, told the New York Post that the synagogue was packed with worshippers celebrating Yud Shevat, a holy day that marks the 75th anniversary of the current rebbe’s leadership. The event attracts thousands of congregants from around the world to the Crown Heights area.
The bomb squad unit responded to the scene and cleared the car. No explosives were found and no injuries reported.
The NYPD is now investigating the incident as a possible hate crime, ABC 7 reported. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said that the incident is being investigated by the Hate Crimes Task Force as a hate crime. However, the suspect has not been charged yet.
Read More | Brooklyn synagogue car attack: First details emerge about suspect who sought 'guidance' from Jewish leaders
Several people have condemned the alleged attack, with Pakistani American educator Anila Ali saying on X, “The attack on the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn is a grave violation of religious freedom and Jewish safety. An intentional act targeting one of the most sacred Jewish institutions in the world must be named clearly for what it is: antisemitic violence. At moments like this, leadership matters. Jewish New Yorkers deserve assurance that their safety is a priority and that antisemitism will be confronted without hesitation. When public officials such as New York mayor #Mamdani struggle to clearly condemn antisemitism or terrorist violence, including #Hamas, it weakens trust and undermines the protection of all faith communities.”
“Religious freedom requires more than statements after an attack. It requires moral clarity, consistency, and the courage to reject hate and extremism in all forms,” she added. “Standing against antisemitism is not a political choice—it is a moral responsibility.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote on X, “This is horrific. These acts of violence against our Jewish communities, and any of our communities, need to stop. Now. Antisemitism and hate of any kind cannot go unchecked in any corner of our city and state.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote, “I have instructed our criminal prosecutors in @CivilRights to open a civil rights investigation into this violent attack.”
