Social media has caused panic in Brooklyn’s Jewish community, as word spread of an attempted stabbing at a Shul in Flatbush on Tuesday morning.
But in fact, there was no stabbing, and the person in question never threatened anyone at a Shul.
NYPD sources confirm to YWN that earlier this morning, a known emotionally disturbed person was seen walking on East 22 Street and Ave S carrying a knife. There are three large Shuls in the vicinity. Police stress that he is known to them. Video obtained by YWN (posted below) shows the man walking down the street holding the knife.
Police and Flatbush Shomrim responded immediately. He was told to drop the knife, and complied with the request. He was taken into custody without further incident.
Photos showing blood on the person are old wounds on his body.
The man was taken to Coney Island Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, police said. No charges were immediately filed.
(Charles Gross – YWN)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
4 Responses
At least we have a story to run in an otherwise slow news day.
A good illustration of why we need to take social media “news” with a grain of salt.
It can be expected at this time for there to be overly cautious/nervous reactions. But as our shul posted, in consultation with the NYPD, it is better to report something suspicious or out of place than ignoring it. They would prefer investigating that than a crime scene R’L.
And if he was carrying a knife around, I would categorize that as suspicious and not “fake”
From Wikipedia:
Fake news is a type of yellow journalism or propaganda that consists of deliberate disinformation or hoaxes spread via traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. The term is also at times used to cast doubt upon legitimate news from an opposing political standpoint, a tactic known as the lying press. … Fake news is written and published with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically…