"Right now, I'm doing as well as I can,” Patterson said. “I’ve gone through two surgeries so far. I have another surgery pending. I'm still waiting to schedule that right now. But so far, so good with everything. There was over a dozen men. I started running. I became winded, so they caught up with me. They, you know, they attacked me, they dragged me between cars. They were kicking me down. They were attacking me, basically, and I couldn't escape. I want to see these men who put their hands on me for no apparent reason behind bars.”
Taj Patterson
Alleged Hasidic Hate Crime Victim: I Want Justice
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
Taj Patterson wants justice. But so far, it isn’t happening.
The 22-year-old gay black college student was beaten by a gang of a dozen or more men early in the morning of December 1 in Brooklyn at the edge of the Williamsburg neighborhood.
Witnesses and Patterson described the men as hasidim wearing uniform jackets and badges closely resembling Shomrim, the haredi-hasidic Jewish street patrol groups.
But despite several eyewitnesses and, apparently, photographs of the crime and of cars used by some gang members, the NYPD has still made no arrests – and it doesn't even seen to be trying.
Publicly, the NYPD has done nothing to show this case is important to them, even though its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.
Speaking to NY1's Errol Louis, Patterson said he has a broken eye socket, torn retina and blood clotting.
"Right now, I'm doing as well as I can,” Patterson said. “I’ve gone through two surgeries so far. I have another surgery pending. I'm still waiting to schedule that right now. But so far, so good with everything. There was over a dozen men. I started running. I became winded, so they caught up with me. They, you know, they attacked me, they dragged me between cars. They were kicking me down. They were attacking me, basically, and I couldn't escape. I want to see these men who put their hands on me for no apparent reason behind bars.”
Patterson's attorney said that cops are "dragging their feet."
The NYPD under its previous chief, Ray Kelly, often chose to overlook crime committed by Shomrim neighborhood patrols.
Kelly left office at the end of December.
Anyone with information on the assault can contact the Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (or text CRIMES and then enter TIP577, or visit www.nypdcrimestoppers.com).