Driver in custody after car crashes into Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn, police say
A driver was taken into custody after crashing his car into Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, New York City police said. There were no injuries, but the incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime, authorities said.
The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. Eastern Time at the building on Eastern Parkway near Washington Avenue. At a press conference, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers assigned to a detail outside Chabad headquarters "heard a commotion in the building's main entrance."
Tisch said when the officers responded, they saw a driver strike the rear door of the building, reverse his vehicle and then strike the rear door again.
Officers ordered the driver out of the car and placed him under arrest. The driver has not yet been identified, and charges are pending.
Police said no injuries were reported. A representative for Chabad said the synagogue was evacuated as a precaution.
The NYPD Bomb Squad swept the vehicle and found no explosive devices.
The incident is being investigated by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. Tisch said as a precaution, the NYPD will be increasing security around houses of worship across all five boroughs.
In a statement, Chabad said that "a car crashed into a side entrance" of the building that "encompasses one of the most important synagogues in the world. From video and witness accounts it seems to have been intentional."
In a social media post, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that he was "relieved that no one was injured in this horrifying incident."
"This is deeply alarming, especially given the deep meaning and history of the institution to so many in New York and around the world," Mamdani wrote. "Any threat to a Jewish institution or place of worship must be taken seriously. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and violence or intimidation against Jewish New Yorkers is unacceptable."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote on X that "an attack against the Jewish community is an attack against all New Yorkers. My team is coordinating with the NYPD and have offered any assistance we can provide in their investigation."