A man accused of antisemitic hate crimes became confrontational in a New York City courthouse after discovering that Our News Outlet was covering his case.
Christopher Husary, 38, is accused of threatening and harassing a Jewish man on the subway in June 2024 by directing antisemitic remarks at him.
Months earlier, Husary allegedly pushed a woman to the ground during a pro-Israel demonstration in California, took her Israeli flag and set it on fire.
He pleaded guilty to robbery with a hate-crime enhancement in that case and was sentenced on October 9, 2024, to 364 days in jail and two years of probation.
At the time of the alleged subway incident and the California offense, the then-36-year-old was living with his parents in their $1.8 million Bay Area home, according to public records.
Following his California sentencing, NYPD officers waited outside the courthouse to extradite Husary to New York. There, he was indicted on charges of attempted coercion as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. He pleaded not guilty and was placed on supervised release.
Husary appeared in Manhattan criminal court on Wednesday morning. Before the hearing, he approached Our News Outlet in the hallway outside the courtroom and began photographing and recording the outlet’s staff with his phone.
When Our News Outlet asked him to confirm his identity, Husary denied that he was Christopher Husary. He then became increasingly confrontational and claimed that an Our News Outlet photographer had been “compromised” by Israel.
Christopher Husary, 38, appeared in Manhattan criminal court on Wednesday. He is accused of directing antisemitic abuse at a Jewish man on the subway.
Husary approached Our News Outlet in the hallway outside the courtroom and began photographing and recording with his phone.
He became increasingly confrontational and claimed that an Our News Outlet photographer was “compromised” by Israel.
“America first or Israel first?” Husary repeatedly asked the photographer, who did not engage with him.
“See, you can’t even say it,” Husary said. “You’re compromised.”
Husary, who was carrying a backpack with a campaign flyer for Mayor Zohran Mamdani tucked into a side pocket, then said, “Free Palestine and stop killing children,” before entering the wrong courtroom.
He emerged several minutes later and entered the correct courtroom when it opened.
About half a dozen Jewish New Yorkers also attended the hearing. One of them wore a T-shirt reading, “Fire Mamdani.”
The hearing was expected to determine whether the case would proceed to trial. However, Judge Julieta Lozano said Husary’s attorney could no longer represent him for medical reasons.
Lozano adjourned the hearing until November 10, giving Husary’s new lawyer, Taylor Koss, time to review the evidence and become familiar with the case.
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Our News Outlet has contacted Koss for comment.
Lozano said Husary had appeared virtually from California for most of his previous hearings.
Husary was convicted of a previous hate crime in California before being extradited to New York. He is pictured in Manhattan court on Wednesday
The presiding judge said Husary had attended most of his previous New York hearings virtually from California
Public records indicate that Husary now lives in a $2,800 per month three-bedroom apartment in Bushwick, Brooklyn. It is unclear whether he works in the city.
According to prosecutors, Husary vandalized a subway car two years ago by drawing an inverted red triangle with a marker on the train door. At the time, he was dressed in a Hezbollah T-shirt and had a scarf wrapped around his face.
The Anti-Defamation League recognizes the upside-down red triangle as a hate symbol that first appeared in Hamas propaganda videos to mark Israeli military targets.
The symbol has since been spray-painted on Jewish homes and institutions, often alongside antisemitic and threatening slogans, according to the organization.
As Husary committed his alleged vandalism, a Jewish lawyer named Joshua Savitt snapped a picture.
Savitt was on his way home from an exhibit memorializing the victims of the October 7 massacre by Hamas, which had been swarmed by pro-Hamas demonstrators.
Husary noticed when Savitt took the photo and immediately approached him, demanding that he delete it, prosecutors said.
When Savitt refused, Husary said, ‘Yo, we got a Zionist over here’ and ‘We’ll find you and there will be consequences,’ according to prosecutors.
When Husary committed his alleged and proven antisemitic crimes, the then 36-year-old wannabe activist was living with his parents at their $1.8 million Bay Area home in California
Husary allegedly hurled antisemitic abuse at Joshua Savitt (pictured with his family) on October 9, 2024, after Savitt took a picture of him vandalizing the subway with a hate symbol
Husary also allegedly told Savitt, who was wearing a yarmulke, ‘You’re not a real Jew.’
When Husary was indicted in 2024, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said: ‘Christopher Husary tried to force a Jewish man to comply with his demands by spewing antisemitic comments and threats at him.
‘We will continue using all the tools at our disposal to hold those accountable who commit acts driven by hate and discrimination.’
