Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

Video: Cops Seek This Suspect In Bed-Stuy Hammer Attack


By

Ben Yakas

Published Jul 18, 2013

Modified Jul 18, 2013


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

DCPI

 


By

Ben Yakas

Published Jul 18, 2013

Modified Jul 18, 2013


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Last week, a Brooklyn musician lost his eye after he was attacked by a hammer-wielding maniac in Bed-Stuy. Dru Barnes, a member of the band Jogyo, was walking home around 10 a.m. last Thursday when a man with a hammer came from behind and attacked him, striking him several times in the head. You can see video of the suspect below.

RMA#1318-13 Assault from Gothamist on Vimeo.

Barnes, who had gotten lost while walking home that morning, had the optic nerve in his left eye completely severed. His friend Gerrit Vooren has set up a Facebook page to bring attention to the attack and help pay for the costs of the multiple surgeries Barnes has ahead of him. “I spoke to him and he said, ‘You know what, I’m going to make sense of this, I’m going to make this right, I’m going to make this work for my life. I’m going to make this a good thing versus a bad thing,” Vooren told CBS.

Anyone with information in regards to this assault is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website.

Tagged

attack

bed stuy

brooklyn

dru barnes

eye

fort greene

hammer

jogyo


Ben Yakas

Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

16 arrested in New York auto insurance fraud crackdown involving nearly $500K

State officials say the cases include staged crashes and fraudulent medical claims, with seven arrests in the Bronx alone.

By

Giulia Heyward

Published Oct 20, 2026 at 6:34 p.m. ET


Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city

It's in the private community of Sea Gate. Family members of the lighthouse's last civilian keeper are keeping its history alive.

By

Catalina Gonella

News

Coney Island's small, 1890s lighthouse may be landmarked by the city

It's in the private community of Sea Gate. Family members of the lighthouse's last civilian keeper are keeping its history alive.

By

Catalina Gonella


New renderings are out for Queens' Metropolitan Park casino

By

Willow Higgins

Inside Luigi Mangione's legal strategy before his federal guilty plea

By

Samantha Max

NYC proposes crackdown down on AI customer service chatbots

By

Arya Sundaram


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .