Ann Arbor police investigating hate crime against Jewish man

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 19-year-old man was assaulted in Ann Arbor just before 1 a.m. Sept. 15 after he was asked by a group of men if he was Jewish, and he confirmed he was.

Police Chief Andre Anderson confirmed the attack in a statement Sunday evening. 

"I have communicated with the University of Michigan police staff, and our goal is to discuss safety over the next few weeks. There is absolutely no place for hate or ethnic intimidation in the City of Ann Arbor. Our department stands against antisemitism and all acts of bias-motivated crimes. We are committed to vigorously investigating this and other hate-motivated incidents and will work with the County Prosecutor's office to aggressively prosecute those who are responsible."

The victim suffered minor injuries, and he did not require hospitalization. The suspects fled on foot after the assault. 

The man had been walking on Hill Street near S. Forest when the assault occurred. 

Police said it was "very early" in the investigation, but that the hate crimes unit was investigating. 

"We will provide additional information when it becomes available," police said in a statement. 

Anyone with information about the incident or related incidents is asked to contact the police tip line at 734-794-6939 or email tips@a2gov.org