Police launch hate crime investigation after rabbi attacked with wooden stake

Police are investigating an incident as a hate crime after a rabbi was assaulted with a wooden stake.

The attack, which occurred on Tuesday in Silver Spring, Maryland, has raised concerns among US Jewish communities following Israel’s response to Hamas’s October 7 attack last year.

The victim suffered minor injuries when struck by the suspect, identified as 47-year-old Junior Michael Reece.

Montgomery County Police Department swiftly arrested Reece following the assault.

The assault took place at approximately 9.53am on the 1400 block of Arcola Avenue in Silver Spring.

According to police reports, the rabbi was walking on the pavement when he encountered Reece.

The reason for the attack is not yet known.

The suspect then fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by officers from the 4th District.

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“The investigation revealed that the victim, who is a rabbi, was walking on the sidewalk on Arcola Avenue when he encountered the suspect,” a statement from the Montgomery County Police Department said.

“For unknown reasons, the male suspect, identified as 47-year-old Junior Michael Reece, swung a wooden stake at the victim, striking him.”

Reece, who has no fixed address, was subsequently charged with felony assault and related crimes.

The assault on the rabbi is part of a troubling trend of violence against religious communities in the US.

Recent incidents include threats against Jews at Cornell University, a foiled plot targeting a New York City Jewish centre, and an attack on a Jewish man in Michigan.

Muslim and Arab communities have also faced violence, with a three-year-old Muslim girl in Texas narrowly escaping drowning, whilst a six-year-old Muslim boy was fatally stabbed in Illinois.

The Montgomery County Police Department urges anyone with information about the Silver Spring attack to come forward.