A man was slapped at a swimming pool for defending someone, and the video has gone viral.
Alain Altit, a father of six, was slapped at a swimming pool while trying to defend a woman who had been called a slur.
The Altit family was enjoying a swim in the hotel water park at the J.W. Marriott Turnberry Resort in Aventura, Florida when they witnessed a hate crime.
It began with a woman who walked past another couple in Tidal Cove, the children's area of the hotel's pool area. The woman's bathing suit reportedly accidentally dripped some water on the wife's towel.
This prompted the wife to call the woman a "dirty Jew."
Altit, who is Jewish himself, overheard the wife's harsh words and tried to defend the woman. Upon doing so, he was met with a slap in the face by the wife's husband, now identified as Marcos Rodriguez.
Watch the news coverage here:
After being slapped, Altit was about to return the favor before being restrained by his wife.
He later said in an interview with Local10 News:
"It's really unbelievable I resisted. When I see my children, my wife, pulling me back, it made me understand I didn't need to act like an animal."
The police were called in response to the incident.
Rodriguez initially told police Altit had threatened him, prompting his physical retaliation.
However, police reviewed the footage captured of the incident and saw no signs of Altit threatening Rodriguez.
Police then took Rodriguez into custody, initially charging him with battery.
However, upon being told by witnesses the altercation was in response to Rodriguez's wife calling a woman an antisemitic slur, Aventura police may up Rodriguez's charge to a hate crime.
Aventura police officer Major Michael Bentolila has said they are currently investigating the incident of antisemitism.
He said:
"We take any threat to anyone seriously, especially if it has to do with race, ethnicity, anything along those lines."
"If our investigation leads us any further, there could be an enhanced hate crime."
Florida's chapter of the Anti-Defamation League has since responded to the incident on Twitter, saying:
"We are deeply disturbed by the report of this incident in Aventura. #Antisemitism should never be tolerated. Calling someone a 'dirty Jew' is reprehensible. We urge @AventuraPolice to continue to investigate this as a possible #hatecrime."
We are deeply disturbed by the report of this incident in Aventura. #Antisemitism should never be tolerated. Calling someone a \u2018dirty Jew\u2019 is reprehensible. We urge @AventuraPolice to continue to investigate this as a possible #hatecrime.https://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/23/possible-hate-crime-in-aventura-as-father-of-5-is-slapped-by-man-who-allegedly-used-anti-semitic-term/\u00a0\u2026— ADL Florida (@ADL Florida) 1629816419
Many Twitter users followed suit, expressing their outrage over the incident.
Guy went to jail that slapped him. Good!https://twitter.com/RawStory/status/1430633248107999237\u00a0\u2026— Doris Bivings\u264f\ud83e\udd82\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99\u2764\u2764 (@Doris Bivings\u264f\ud83e\udd82\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83e\udd42\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc99\u2764\u2764) 1629930476
Definitely a hate crime. Father slapped at Florida pool after confronting woman who allegedly called another woman a \u2018dirty Jew\u2019https://www.rawstory.com/anti-semitic-hate-crimes-2654793153/\u00a0\u2026— Sue Massa (@Sue Massa) 1629998594
Nazi couple; one of them is not white. \n\nBigotry comes in all forms.\n\n\u201cPossible hate crime in Aventura as father of 5 is slapped by man whose wife allegedly used anti-Semitic term.\u201d @roshlowespeaks \n\nhttps://www.local10.com/news/local/2021/08/23/possible-hate-crime-in-aventura-as-father-of-5-is-slapped-by-man-who-allegedly-used-anti-semitic-term/\u00a0\u2026https://twitter.com/roshlowespeaks/status/1429921216769441797\u00a0\u2026— Yossi Gestetner (@Yossi Gestetner) 1629774400
People.. if u see a Karen (M/F) \ndo not let them get away with a damn thing.— Mean Mean Joker \u2077 (@Mean Mean Joker \u2077) 1629924632
Slapping a man is one of the most disrespectful things one can do - To do it in front of his family is even worse.— dorian. (@dorian.) 1629895615
Florida is such a lovely place to be in 2021. NOT! The world is watching...\n#uspoli #cdnpolihttps://twitter.com/ADL_Florida/status/1430179837264732171\u00a0\u2026— RebeccaD1960 (@RebeccaD1960) 1629824449
I\u2019d like to know why people are so willing to expose themselves in this way! I don\u2019t understand the hate!!!https://twitter.com/rawstory/status/1430633248107999237\u00a0\u2026— Sal \ud83d\uddfd\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udd4a\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf97 (@Sal \ud83d\uddfd\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83d\udd4a\ud83c\udf0a \ud83c\udf97) 1629924869
Assault— Leftist Maniac (need purple hair dye) (@Leftist Maniac (need purple hair dye)) 1629924669
My god, the whole world has lost their minds.— Katie (@Katie) 1629924610
this story is on the minds of every American tonight.— dr. holmes (@dr. holmes) 1629943456
Altit's wife, Tanya Cohen, was the first person to speak with Local10 News about the incident.
She said:
"The guy was definitely trying to pick a fight with a Jew. We are in 2021. This shouldn't be happening anymore."
"At the end of the day, it's the hatred to the Jewish people and it's so sad."
So far, Rodriguez has not been officially charged with a hate crime, but he may soon face punishment for his ignorance.
