The shooting at Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville was unequivocally a ‘hate-motivated crime.’
Belleville Police Chief Murray Rodd made that point clear at a Thursday press conference at Belleville Police Headquarters that it was a ‘pre-meditated and deliberate attack on members of the Jewish Community.’
Rodd laid out more findings of the investigation, including a moment where the attacker said on video played during the media event on Thursday “you are going to die for the Jews.”
“Innocent people had gathered for Yom Kippur and thanks to the actions of this officer, they were able to return home to their families,” Rodd stated.
Const. Jeff Smith continues to face a long road but is making progress in his recovery.
“He was shot multiple times and suffered critical injuries including head injuries,” the chief noted.
Fellow Const. Mike McCurdy was the second to arrive on the scene and helped Const. Smith to prevent an even larger tragedy, with Rodd calling both officers ‘heroes.’
Saying accuracy in reporting matters, Rodd said Smith was assigned to the Synagogue as part of his regular duties and that Belleville Police regularly work to protect the local Jewish community, a relationship that goes back several years and predates his time as Chief.
He thanked the public for their outpouring of support and again asked people to respect the Smith family’s privacy moving forward.
In response to questions from the media at the event, Rodd also added more details about the investigation.
