Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Video: NYPD Chases Hearse Through Borough Park During Crowded Hasidic Funeral
By
Jake Offenhartz
and
Scott Heins
Published Apr 30, 2020
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 .
Provided to Gothamist
By
Jake Offenhartz
and
Scott Heins
Published Apr 30, 2020
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
A Hasidic funeral in Borough Park erupted in chaos on Thursday afternoon, as NYPD efforts to break up the crowded procession were met with defiance from some mourners, leading to at least one arrest.
Video shared with Gothamist shows NYPD officers sprinting after a minivan — believed to be carrying the body of Rabbi Yehezkel Shraga Vagshal — as hundreds of Orthodox Jews packed the streets of 13th Avenue. Witnesses said that police handcuffed a young boy, and threatened others with summonses for violating social distancing orders and not wearing masks.
A spokesperson for the NYPD, Lieutenant John Grimpel, confirmed that one person was arrested, but could not provide any other details.
The incident comes just two days after Mayor Bill de Blasio personally dispersed a large funeral procession in Williamsburg. “The next gathering will be met with summonses and arrests, period," the mayor said on Wednesday. "If you have a large gathering — hundreds of people, thousands of people — we’re not even going to have a warning."
Members of the ultra-Orthodox community have accused de Blasio of unfairly singling out religious Jews. They claim that police were unnecessarily hostile on Thursday afternoon.
"They target us more than anyone else," said Albert Chattah, a Borough Park shop owner. "It's a funeral, people need to be able to give respect. They have to obey the law, but [police] are aggressive."
State Senator Simcha Felder, who represents the neighborhood, tweeted on Thursday that the mayor was "terrorizing people by sending in armies of cops during such stressful times." (Back in December, Felder called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to deploy the National Guard to patrol the neighborhood, following an uptick in anti-Semitic attacks.)
Brooklyn's ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods have been among the most impacted by COVID-19 across the city. Earlier this month, Hasidic news sources reported that at least 700 members of the community have died from the disease.
Despite the devastating death toll, some rabbis have said it's unrealistic to expect a grieving population to abandon their public mourning ritual — known as levaya, which translates to "accompany." Without clear guidance from religious leaders, some members of the community feared that further clashes with police would only intensify.
"If this trend continues, then I think we have the makings of some serious civil unrest," said one source in the community, who has lost several family members to the virus and declined to go on record for fear of inciting backlash. "Emotions run high and that can descend into serious street rioting."
Inquiries to the Mayor's Office were not immediately returned.
Tagged
COVID-19
coronavirus
borough park
ultra-orthodox
Hasidic
Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Scott Heins
Scott Heins is a freelance photo and video journalist based in New York City, and a frequent contributor to Gothamist + WNYC. His work often centers around labor rights, housing, and policing. In 2018-2019 he traveled to four states while covering a wave of public school teachers strikes, with work featured in The New York Times, The Intercept, Getty Images, Splinter, and Bloomberg Photos. Scott is a dues-paying member of the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani names re-entry specialist as chair of Rikers oversight board
Christopher Watler will help the department that a federal monitor says remains in crisis.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 3:52 p.m. ET
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Legionella found in Staten Island building's water system after 2 positive cases
By
Catalina Gonella
Legal 'loophole' helps NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman raise millions
By
Jon Campbell
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
By
Ben Feuerherd
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 .