Rabbi Menachem Shemtov says he was punched and attacked by Lyft driver after asking him to turn down the car's stereo.
A well-known rabbi in Washington, D.C. says he was beaten by a Lyft driver who ordered him out of the car, then pursued and punched him.
The driver shouted, "I don't like your energy," as he attacked the rider, Rabbi Menachem Shemtov told The Washington Post.
Shemtov captured video of parts of the incident, as did a passerby. The district's Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the encounter, which occurred Sunday.
The rabbi, who was wearing a yarmulke and had just left a synagogue, said he believes he was targeted because he is Jewish.
“I don’t know what other energy he could be referring to,” Shemtov said. “I don’t know what to attribute to me other than who I am," he told the Post.
Police have not classified the incident as a hate crime. "This case remains open. This is not currently classified as a hate/bias incident; however, our detectives are still in the early stages of the investigation," the department said in a statement to Inside Edition Digital.
Lyft did not respond to a request for comment from Inside Edition Digital. But in a statement released to local media, the rideshare company said the driver had been fired.
“Lyft unequivocally condemns this behavior,” the statement said. “Upon learning of this incident, we deactivated the driver, and we've been in touch with the rider. We encourage riders and drivers to report harassment, discrimination, or safety concerns in the Lyft app."
After beating him, Shemtov said the man fled. Police said the car was reported as a red Toyota with Maryland license plate 3FR1602.
The rabbi said things quickly went downhill after he got in the car and asked the driver if he could turn down loud music that was playing.
"We turned the corner, and he said he doesn’t like my energy, he doesn’t like energy, people like me, get out of the car, called me weird, and I got out, and for whatever reason, he then followed me, too, to punch me in the face and continue beating me," Shemtov told WRCTV.
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