Update to include a statement from Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, Head of School, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School.
The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) arrested a Germantown man after he became combative with off-duty officers at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, leading to his arrest on assault and disorderly conduct charges.
According to MCPD, “At approximately 2:54 p.m., off-duty officers assigned to school security saw a vehicle circling the parking lot without a valid student pick-up pass. After directing the driver away, the officers observed the same vehicle return and the driver refused to stop when asked. The driver then drove through traffic cones in the pick-up line and moved into lanes with oncoming vehicles.
When the vehicle finally stopped, the driver, later identified as 38-year-old Joseph Amr Khairy Abdalla, would not get out of the car or identify himself or his purpose at the school. Officers attempted to remove him from the vehicle; however, he resisted and became combative.
Abdalla resisted officers attempts to place him in custody. During the struggle a pocketknife fell off his person. Officers were able to subdue him and took him into custody. Two off-duty officers sustained minor injuries and were treated on scene. First District officers arrived to assist and transported Abdalla to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit. He faces multiple counts of assault, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.
Based on the investigation there is no evidence at this time that Abdalla had intent to harm anyone associated with the school. Chief Yamada stated, “The actions of these officers shows our heightened efforts to protect our community and the courage of officers to take decisive action for the safety of all.”
Statement from Rabbi Mitchel Malkus, Head of School, Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School:
“We are deeply grateful to the off-duty Montgomery County Police officers who are present on our campus daily, as well as to our internal security team, for responding with professionalism, courage, and clarity to an incident in our car line yesterday afternoon. While classes continued as usual, their swift actions ensured that our students, faculty, and families remained safe.
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.
We truly appreciate the support of Montgomery County and the State of Maryland, whose grants help offset a portion of the significant investment we make each year in the safety and security of our school community.”