The attack occurred on December 1st, 2013 by nearly a dozen ultra-Orthodox vigilantes in Williamsburg Brooklyn. The gang of Hasidic men was searching for a suspect who had been vandalizing cars in the area. Patterson suffered from a fractured eye socket, torn retina and multiple contusions from the beat down.
A student of fashion at New York City College of Technology, Patterson is suing the five who are charged with gang assault. His lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein said, “The family wants justice for Taj both criminally and civilly.”
The lawsuit was filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court for an unspecified amount in damages for Patterson’s injuries and negligence of the volunteer security patrol. Sources identified the defendant Abraham Winkler as a Shomrim member. Winkler’s lawyer, George Farkas said, “There’s more to this than meets the eye.”