Jeffrey Babbitt – praag.org

‘I hate white people’ beating victim dies

A 62-year-old man who was brutally attacked in Union Square in New York last week died Monday.

On Wednesday, a man shouting that he “hated white people” punched victim Jeffrey Babbitt — who is white — in the face, witnesses said, causing him to fall and strike his head on the ground.

Lashawn Marten, 31, who is black, “made statements to the effect that I’m going to punch the first white man that I see,” said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Brooklyn resident Jeffrey Babbitt died at Bellevue Hospital after a seemingly unprovoked attack at Union Square.

After punching Babbitt, Marten allegedly attacked two other men who came to Babbitt’s aid, police said. Police were investigating the incident as a possible hate crime.

Paramedics took Babbitt to Bellevue Hospital, where he lapsed into a coma and was pronounced brain-dead by doctors.

Babbitt was a longtime resident of the Sheepshead Bay section of Brooklyn, where neighbors and friends were shocked by news of the assault. “Everybody’s broken up about this,” neighbor Audrey Feifer, 75, told Newsday. “If you had to go to the doctor or anywhere, he would take you.”

Babbitt reportedly lived with his 94-year-old mother Lucille, and was described by those who knew him as being ‘obsessed’ with trains and comic books.

Marten has been charged with second- and third-degree assault and will go before a grand jury Tuesday, the Manhattan D.A.’s office told PIX11 Monday.

Marten’s charges may be upgraded at that time. – pixII.com

US media completely ignore racist rampage

NewsBusters asked Saturday if the media will report a New York man becoming brain dead as a result of an unprovoked attacked by a black man saying “I hate white people.”

So far with the exception of local New York coverage, the answer is a resounding “No.”

Analyses of Google News, LexisNexis, and closed-caption transcripts found absolutely no national reporting of Jeffrey Babbitt, the 62-year-old retired train conductor now in a coma at Bellevue Hospital.

Not one word on ABC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, or NBC.

Potentially even more curious, the largest newspaper in New York, the New York Times, appears to have not reported this attack despite it occurring in its own backyard.

If Babbitt were black, and his assailant shouted “I hate black people” before inflicting what appears will be a death blow, would America’s media be so disinterested?

Or would this be headline news much like what we saw with Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman?

Sadly, we all know the answer as our media have once again shown that they are only interested in white on black hate crimes.

The other variety just don’t fit the agenda.

Update: It turns out the New York Times did report this matter at its website Friday and in print Saturday. Unfortunately, the name of the assailant was wrong and the article didn’t include Babbitt’s. That’s why it appeared this event had gone unreported.

Readers are advised the errant report was a total of 152 words buried on page 21.

I guess that’s the importance the Times gives to black on white hate crimes. – newsbusters.org

Racist rampage leaves man brain-dead

It came out of nowhere.

A black man allegedly went on a rampage in Union Square on Wednesday afternoon and left a complete stranger brain-dead in the process.

Police said that the attack may have been a hate crime.

Friends of Jeffrey Babbitt, 62, were shocked to hear about the random act of violence that left the gentle, retired train conductor in a coma, CBS 2′s Dave Carlin reported on Friday.

“I don’t believe that. I don’t know why that happened. He is very nice,” Igor Sapozhnikov said.

Babbitt was minding his own business as he walked through the crowd near the chess boards in Union Square when a man made a hateful announcement and began his rampage, witnesses said.

“He said ‘the next white person who walks by I’m going to [expletive],’” one woman said. “His fist went in and the man’s head bobbed and he hit the ground and you could hear his skull hitting the ground.”

The man continued his rampage before demanding to see police officers.

“He stood there and hit two more people and asked for the police to come,” Michael Benson said.

Stunned witnesses counted a total of three people attacked. The suspect, Lashawn Marten, 31, remained at the scene until police arrived.

Babbitt was on the ground with blood flowing from his head. Nearby were two other victims icing their faces.

Because of Marten’s alleged comments about targeting white people the incident could result in hate crime charges in addition to felony assault charges, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

“Obviously our Hate Crimes Task Force is involved in aspects of that case,” Kelly said.

Witnesses said they were amazed at the brazen, public nature of the assault.

“This is such a crowded area. You’d expect it in a back alley, but there are so many people here. That’s the strange part,” Garrett Browning said.

Babbitt was taken to Bellevue Hospital. Family and friends said that he is in a coma and has been declared brain-dead.

His 92-year-old mother, Hedda, was by his side. She shared a Sheepshead Bay apartment with her son. He was her primary caregiver. – CBS New York