Nationwide — Troy McLeod, an African American man from Brooklyn, New York, who uses a wheelchair, was violently attacked by one of his Jewish neighbors while walking his dogs. The attacker, Levi Kabakov, allegedly attacked McLeod with a wooden bench and block before pushing him out of his wheelchair.McLeod said the incident began when Kabakov, 30, claimed the dogs were bothering his children. McLeod, whose dogs were muzzled, reportedly crossed the street to avoid conflict. But minutes later, Kabakov came out of his home on Lincoln Place and confronted him aggressively.
According to police, Kabakov struck McLeod with a wooden block and a bench from his yard, then pushed him out of his wheelchair. Neighbors and bystanders tried to intervene but couldn’t stop the attack.
“I was scared, I was trying to get back up, I was in shock, and thank God someone was there,” Mcleod told Brooklyn News 12. “It felt like a vengeful vibe to me because to the extent of the situation there was no need for it.”
McLeod now suffers from chronic pain, especially in his hands, which he used to shield himself. Despite the injuries, he still takes his dogs out daily. Security footage shows the dogs remained calm and did not react during the assault.
Kabakov was arrested the next day and charged with second-degree assault and aggravated menacing. He was released without bail and is due back in court on July 17.
McLeod said he hopes Kabakov is held accountable and hopes the incident serves as a reminder that violence is never the answer.
“If you are feeling some way, take a time out, call someone, you have no cause to ever violate someone like that put your hands on someone,” he said.