Police nabbed on Thursday the young suspect who allegedly assaulted a Jewish protester outside of Columbia University in April, authorities confirmed.
Zuhdi Ahmed, 20, is facing hate crime charges for an altercation dating back to April 20, at the height of the campus’ ongoing protests over the Gaza war.
Law enforcement sources said the victim was preparing to participate in a pro-Israel rally at around 9:55 p.m. that evening at the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and West 116 Street when a counter-protester snatched away his Israeli flag.
The man gave chase, cops said. following the thief into a large crowd. That’s when, police allege, Ahmed allegedly threw a rock, striking the victim in the face. While injured, a third person set the Israeli flag ablaze.
Sources familiar with the investigation reported that Ahmed turned himself into the 7th Precinct early Thursday morning after officers with the Warrant Squad arrived at his Ossining, NY residence to discover that he wasn’t there.
Ahmed joins 40-year-old James Carlson of Park Slope, Brooklyn, who was arrested for originally snatching the flag. Police apprehended Carlson as part of the NYPD’s April 30 raid on Columbia University that brought the weeks-long demonstration to an end.
A third man remains at large for burning the flag during the April 20 rally.
Ahmed remained silent on the morning of June 13 as detectives transferred him to Manhattan Criminal Court for arraignment. He is charged with second- and third-degree assault, both of which were elevated to hate crimes, as well as third-degree menacing as a hate crime, third-degree aggravated harassment, first-degree harassment and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
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