A violent altercation erupted in San Jose this past weekend, where several individuals were filmed assaulting two Jewish men and pinning one of them to the pavement. Law enforcement officials are currently investigating the matter as a potential antisemitic hate crime, according to local police reports.
A verbal dispute quickly turned physical, leading to two victims being targeted by three assailants. The attack, which is being reviewed for hate crime indicators, reportedly involved the use of antisemitic slurs, ABC7NEWS reported.
The confrontation occurred Sunday afternoon at the popular Santana Row shopping district. The San Jose Police Department (SJPD) stated that the incident began as a heated exchange of words, which allegedly escalated to include targeted religious slurs and physical violence.
Here is the sequence of events
According to authorities, the fight was initiated when three men approached the two victims, both of whom later received treatment for minor injuries.
“The victims alleged that the suspects used antisemitic language during the altercation,” police said.
“The incident is currently being investigated by the Assaults Unit as a possible hate crime,” they added.
Part of the assault, which took place in an outdoor dining patio, was caught on video. The recording shows a young suspect repeatedly striking a man on the ground while an accomplice held the victim’s foot to prevent escape.
Before the group fled, witnesses in the background were heard yelling, “Stop it! Knock it off!”
“Every punch connected directly to where they wanted, to the head directly. It was on purpose to hit and make maximum damage,” ABC7NEWS quoted one of the two victims as saying.
“One of the witnesses said that they heard them saying, ‘don’t mess with Iran’, which we don’t know why,” ABC7NEWS quoted the other man. “We don’t have any problem with them. But, I heard at the beginning of the fight, something along the lines of, ‘F the Jews’.”
The suspects managed to leave the area before officers arrived. Emergency responders evaluated both victims for minor injuries at the scene.
According to a report from the
Police confirmed that the investigation into the matter remains active.
Politicians condemn ‘deeply disturbing incident’
Several local representatives have issued statements regarding the attack.
Congressman Ro Khanna said, “The assault on Israeli Americans in San Jose while speaking Hebrew is horrific.”
“This kind of antisemitism has no place in our community. I unequivocally condemn these attacks. The assailants must be held accountable and prosecuted,” Khanna added.
“I have been in touch with our police department and leaders in the local Jewish community regarding this deeply disturbing incident and will continue to monitor the situation closely,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan stated.
