The violence happened at about 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of 49th
Street and Tenth Avenue in Borough Park The members of the Shomrim
Patrol were following a car they considered suspicious.
Zev Brenner interviewed the head of Borough Park's Shomrim Patrol tonight about the shooting.
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Update 9:35 am CDT 9-3-10 – Here's the latest update from the NY Post:
Brooklyn patrol shot
Thug opens fire on Shomrim crew: cops
By REUVEN BLAU, LARRY CELONA and REUVEN FENTON • New York Post
Four members of a Jewish volunteer patrol were shot during a tussle with a suspected pervert in Brooklyn last night, police said.
"I tackled him and as we were falling to the ground, he started shooting all over the place," said Motty Perl, a member of the unarmed Shomrim security patrol who was shot in the left hand and shoulder.
"I thought it was a BB gun. I didn't think the gun was real."
Perl, 28, and three other Shomrim members were taken to Lutheran Hospital and were expected to survive, cops said.
Suspected shooter David Flores, 33, accidentally shot himself in the left arm when he let loose his barrage and was in police custody, NYPD sources said.
"It was like a scene out of the movies. He kept on shooting. He was on the floor," said Jacob Daskel, a Shomrim member who was not hurt.
"We were grabbing his hand, holding it down,"
The suspect had previously been arrested nine times -- including once for lewdness and twice for robbery, said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, who came to the hospital to thank Shomrim members for "the service they provide."
He said new charges could include attempted murder as well as public lewdness.
The violence erupted at about 7:45 p.m. near 46th Street and Tenth Avenue in Borough Park when members of the patrol were alerted to the presence of the suspected perv driving in the area, sources said.
Flores is being investigated for allegedly masturbating in front of children at 59th Street and 13th Avenue last week, and on Tenth Avenue earlier yesterday.
The streets last night were flooded with as many as 200 children participating in a celebration for a new Torah.
"The hot line got a call that we had a sexual predator that had been spotted before driving in the area in a silver Hyundai," said Shomrim coordinator Shaya Stein, 39.
Shomrim members confronted Flores when he got stuck in traffic -- and he jumped from his car with a gun, sources said.
"I got there and they were already struggling. I just tried to kick away the gun," said Abraham David Kastow, one of the founders of the patrol.
Kastow, 44, was struck in the shoulder and burned his palm grabbing the barrel of the gun while wrestling it from Flores.
The married dad has the most collars of any member in the 100-person unit, which works with the NYPD.
In addition to Perl and Kastow, also shot were Yoel Klein and Motty Broner.
Klein bore the brunt of the gunfire, getting hit in the abdomen, back and torso.
Broner was struck in the neck, with the bullet passing through from left to right.
While Klein lay badly wounded, the other three kept charging Flores, said Shomrim coordinator Sam Follman, who also assisted in the takedown.
"It was scary. I had never been involved in a gun incident before," he said.
Klein was in serious but stable condition.
"They're just incredibly, incredibly lucky. It's mind-boggling when you think of it," Assemblyman Dov Hikind said at the hospital.
Additional reporting by Matthew Nestel, CJ Sullivan, John Doyle and Dareh Gregorian.
Update 11:59 pm – Here's an updated report from the NY Post:
4 in Jewish security force shot in B'klyn
By REUVEN BLAU, LARRY CELONA and REUVEN FENTON • New York Post
Four members of a volunteer Jewish patrol were shot during a tussle with a suspected pervert in Brooklyn last night, police said.
"Bullets were flying everywhere," said Jacob Daskel, a member of the unarmed Shomrim security patrol.
All of the victims were taken to Lutheran Hospital, and were expected to survive, cops said.
A man believed to be the shooter, David Flores, 33, was in police custody, cops said.
The violence erupted at about 7:45 near 46th Street and Tenth Avenue in Borough Park when the members of the patrol were alerted to the presence of a possible perv driving in the area, sources said.
Community sources said they suspected the driver was the same man who'd masturbated in front of some kids at 59th Street and 13th Avenue last week, and at 41st Street and 10th Avenue earlier yesterday.
A member confronted the man when he got stuck in traffic - and he jumped out of his car with a gun, sources said.
About nine other Shomrim surrounded the man, including Daskel.
"We tackled him to the ground. All the while he was shooting. It was like a scene out of the movies. He kept on shooting. He was on the floor. We were grabbing his hand holding it down," said Daskel, who was not hurt.
"He was shooting randomly."
One of the victims was shot in stomach, one in the neck, one in the shoulder and wrist and one in the arm.
All except the one who'd taken a bullet to the gut were able to help hold the man for police, Daskel said.
Members of the group said it was one of the shot Shomrim who finally wrested the gun away from the suspect - burning his hand on the barrel as he did so.
They identified the hero volunteer as Avaraham Kastow, one of the founders of the group. The married dad has the most collars of any member of the 100-person unit, which works with the NYPD.
"He's the hero of Shomrim," said a friend at the hospital who declined to give his name.
The most seriously injured was the man shot in the abdomen, Yoel Klein.
He was in serious but stable condition.
"They're just incredibly, incredibly lucky. It's mind-boggling when you think of it," Assemblyman Dov Hikind said at the hospital.
Additional reporting by Matt Nestel, CJ Sullivan, John Doyle and Dareh Gregorian.
Here is the Post's original report:
4 in Jewish security force shot in B'klyn
By LARRY CELONA, MATT NESTEL and REUVEN BLAU • New York Post
Four members of a volunteer Jewish security force were shot in Brooklyn earlier tonight, police said.
A man believed to be the shooter was in police custody, cops said.
All of the victims, whose names were not released, were expected to survive, cops said.
One victim was shot in the neck; two in the hand, and one in the stomach.
The violence happened at about 7:45 p.m. near the intersection of 49th Street and Tenth Avenue in Borough Park The members of the Shomrim Patrol were following a car they considered suspicious, sources said.
The unarmed volunteers confronted the man at a red light — and he opened fire, sources said.
Shomrim members were able to grab the shooter and held him for police, sources said.
[Hat Tips: WSC, Burich.]