Crime & Safety
Man With Knife Arrested At Jewish School In Rockville
A man with a knife at a Jewish school was taken into custody after he became combative with two off-duty Montgomery County police officers.
ROCKVILLE, MD — A man is facing several charges after police said he got into an altercation with off-duty officers at a Jewish school in Rockville. Police later found him in possession of a knife, authorities said.
Joseph Amr Khairy Abdalla, 38, of Germantown was charged with multiple counts of assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest following the Thursday incident at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Montgomery County police said in a news release.
According to authorities, off-duty officers assigned to school security saw a vehicle circling the parking lot without a valid student pick-up pass shortly before 3 p.m. After telling the driver to leave, police said the car returned and the driver refused to stop when asked. According to police, the driver then drove through traffic cones in the pickup line and moved into lanes with oncoming vehicles.
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When the car finally stopped, the driver — later identified as Abdalla — would not get out, identify himself or say why he was at the school, police said. According to authorities, officers attempted to remove Abdalla from the car, but he resisted and became combative.
During the struggle, police said the officers discovered Abdalla had a knife. The officers eventually subdued him and took him into custody.
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School officials said Abdalla also used antisemitic slurs and "hateful language" during the incident.
Two off-duty officers suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene, police said.
Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada said there was no evidence that Abdalla intended to harm anyone associated with the school.
"The actions of these officers show our heightened efforts to protect our community and the courage of officers to take decisive action for the safety of all," Yamada said.
In a statement sent to Patch, Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, head of school at Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, said he was deeply grateful to the police officers who were present on campus during the incident.
"While classes continued as usual, their swift actions ensured that our students, faculty, and families remained safe," Malkus said.
He went on to say, "We are profoundly troubled by the rise in antisemitic rhetoric and other hate crimes, both locally and nationally and have protocols and systems in place to keep our community safe. We condemn the antisemitic slurs and hateful language used by the individual during his arrest, which stand in direct contradiction to the values of learning, civic responsibility and community engagement we teach at our school."
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich also released a statement, calling the incident "deeply disturbing." While Abdalla is not facing hate crime charges, Elrich said that does not "diminish the community concern."
"I know this will heighten the fears and concerns of our Jewish community," Elrich said. "Montgomery County is committed to protecting all of our residents. ... Keeping our community safe, however, also means working together. If you see something suspicious, please say something and call 911 immediately."
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