A former New York City police officer was?arrested on Sunday for charges of spray-painting anti-Semitic graffiti and profanities on cars and buildings near a?synagogue and on the front doors of a Jewish elementary school. Michael Setiawan, 36, was arrested after police received a 9-1-1 call on Saturday evening. A surveillance camera captured a man on video, but police have blurred out the face and have not confirmed that the man in the video was the former cop.
Setiawan was a city police officer in Brooklyn’s 69th precinct in the Canarsie neighborho0od until 2007. He drew swastikas and painted profanities on 15 vehicles and four buildings, including the?ultra-Orthodox Bnos Zion synagoge and school.
Setiawan lives with his parents in Queens. His father, Thomas Setiawan, told the Associated Press that a phone call from police woke him up at 5:00 a.m. on Sunday and he went to his son’s room and confronted him.
“I asked my son, ‘What’s wrong? What happened? Is anybody hurt?'” the Indonesian immigrant said in a telephone interview, his voice rising with emotion in heavily accented English. “He said ‘No, don’t worry, nobody’s hurt.'”
Thomas Setiawan reports that his son borrowed the car on Saturday evening after tricking his father into giving him the keys.
Community leaders disagree with Setiawan’s statement that no one was harmed. State Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who represents the area, issued this statement to the AP:
“This was not a victimless crime,” Hikind said. “We have many Holocaust survivors here, many elderly people and children who are appropriately frightened by unprovoked hate attacks upon their schools and community. … Hate attacks on our community will not go unpunished.”
Michael Setiawan has suffered?from depression and suicidal thoughts since he left the police force. He didn’t give his parents a reason for quitting his job, saying only “I want to quit.” He and his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Jakarta, Indonesia in 1989.
Setiawan’s young son was visiting at the time of his arrest and witnessed his father being led away by police. The former cop?faces 19 charges of criminal mischief and aggravated harassment as hate crimes.
h/t iacknowledge
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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
