Deli worker in posh NYC nabe arrested for throwing knife at ‘aggressive’ intruder: ‘He was trying to protect the business’

A 34-year-old deli worker was arrested in New York City's posh Gramercy neighborhood after allegedly throwing a knife at an intruder who had been threatening him and refusing to leave the store. The employee, Mahmoud Bourada, claimed he was simply trying to protect his business, which is owned by Ahmed Saleh, a 24-year-old immigrant from Yemen.

According to police and law enforcement sources, Bourada threw the knife at the intruder, but it only grazed him on his left hand. However, the intruder refused medical attention, which led to Bourada's arrest. He was charged with first-degree attempted assault and second-degree assault.

Saleh described Bourada as a "good man" who was trying to protect his business, which is struggling due to the increasing crime in the area. Saleh said that the neighborhood has become too violent, with thieves constantly stealing from the store and demanding free stuff from customers. He believes that the city's policies have made it difficult for businesses like his to operate successfully.

The deli owner also expressed concern about the impact of the incident on Bourada's life, who was cut loose by the business due to the incident. Saleh said that he had hired Bourada six months ago, and despite the challenges the employee faced, he believed he could still provide for his family.

The arrest has raised questions about the city's response to the growing crime problem in affluent neighborhoods like Gramercy. While the police have taken steps to increase patrols in the area, many residents and business owners are frustrated with the lack of progress.

In a surprising twist, one of Bourada's colleagues quit their job just hours after the incident, citing concerns about the safety of the neighborhood. The employee claimed that the crime problem was getting worse, and they were no longer willing to work in an environment that felt so vulnerable.

The city officials have promised to address the growing concern, but for many business owners like Saleh, it may be too little, too late. As he said, "This area was beautiful, [now] they're always screaming outside... It's like we work for them."

this is getting crazy in NYC, a guy just wants to protect his shop and get arrested? i feel bad for him, but at the same time, i can see why the cops had to step in. it's not right that someone's threatening him and refusing to leave... i hope mahmoud gets a chance to clear his name and show what really happened that day. and poor ahmed, losing an employee like that just hours after the incident? that's some harsh stuff right there

I feel so bad for this poor guy Bourada He just wanted to protect his business and family, and now he's in trouble. I mean, who can blame him? The city's policies seem to be letting these thieves run amok in the Gramercy neighborhood . And it's not like he was trying to hurt the guy, just throw a knife at him to scare him off. But no, the cops had to arrest him anyway . I've seen this happen before, where people get caught up in the system and lose everything they worked for.

And now Saleh is worried about Bourada's life after he got cut loose from his job . The poor guy was trying to make a living and provide for his family, but now he's just a statistic in the city's crime problem . I feel so sorry for him. The city should be doing more to help these business owners and employees who are just trying to survive . It's like they're working hard and then getting taken away by the system .

this story is making me so mad! a 34-year-old guy gets arrested for trying to protect his business from some psycho who was threatening him, and now he's gonna lose his job? it's just not right. the city needs to step up and do something about all these rising crime rates in areas like gramercy. it's not fair to these business owners who are just trying to make a living and provide for their families.

this whole situation is wild. Bourada's trying to protect his biz and the police just arrest him? it feels like a lot of unnecessary drama. i get that crime's a big issue in gramercy, but did they really need to take the employee down? i'm all for safety, but this guy was literally just trying to secure his store...

and now he gets cut loose by his employer? that's gotta be super tough on him. it's like, what's supposed to happen if you're working in a sketchy neighborhood and something goes down? are you really expected to just sit back and do nothing?

i'm not saying the police did anything wrong, but can't they see that this is more of a bigger systemic problem? the city needs to step up their game if they wanna keep their affluent neighborhoods safe.

i mean think about this dude Mahmoud Bourada is just trying to protect his business and his family but the city's policies are making it hard for him to do so. like what can he do? the neighborhood is getting more violent by the day and the police aren't doing enough. Saleh's words got me thinking too, what if we're not seeing the whole story here? maybe this isn't just about Bourada's actions but also about the system failing these small business owners.

This is just great, another deli worker thrown in the slammer for defending his business against some punk who refused to leave. I mean, what's next? Throwing a rock at someone who tries to steal from him?

And don't even get me started on the "good man" label Ahmed Saleh gave Mahmoud Bourada. Yeah right, the guy just happened to throw a knife around like it was nothing and now he's facing assault charges? No thanks, let's give the guy a break... not. The city's policies are just piling it on and making businesses in these fancy neighborhoods impossible. It's just one big problem after another.

And what really gets my goat is when people like Saleh say they're "cut loose" by their employees because of incidents like this. That's just a nice way of saying you guys can't even trust your staff not to stab someone for you if it comes down to it. Unbelievable.

I'm so torn about this whole thing... On one hand, I feel super sorry for Mahmoud Bourada and his situation. I mean, who wants to be constantly threatened at work? But on the other hand, throwing a knife at someone doesn't exactly sound like the best way to deal with the situation...

And can we talk about how this is just another example of how crime affects small business owners in areas that are supposed to be safe? It's not just Bourada who's struggling - it sounds like his whole community is feeling the strain. I get why Saleh is frustrated, but do you think there are other ways he could've handled the situation without involving the authorities?

And what about those colleagues who quit their job after witnessing this incident? I feel bad for them too... they were already struggling with the safety concerns. It's just not fair that Bourada got cut loose from his own business because of a misunderstanding .

I think it's time for the city to take another look at their crime policies and figure out ways to support these small businesses and their employees more effectively . Maybe there are some creative solutions out there...

I don't think throwing a knife at someone is cool way to protect ur store lol . I mean, i get that u wanna keep ur business safe but it's not the right way to do it. The guy threw the knife and it only grazed him, but still...

And what really gets me is how many people are leaving their jobs 'cause they don't feel safe anymore . I mean, i get it, Gramercy can be a pretty posh neighborhood, but crime is a big deal. Maybe instead of having one person quit, we should have like, a whole plan to make the area safer

It's also sad that the deli owner, Ahmed Saleh, lost an employee who was cut loose by the business . I feel bad for him and his family. Maybe now the city will actually do something to help these businesses

OMG I feel so bad for Mahmoud Bourada he just wanted to protect his business and family but now his life is in shambles . The crime situation in Gramercy is getting out of control, it's not fair to the owners who are struggling to make ends meet . I'm all for safety measures but shouldn't they be prioritizing prevention over punishment? It's heartbreaking to see people like Bourada losing everything because of a senseless crime . I hope Saleh finds a way to get his business back on track and that the city steps up their game to tackle this issue

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this situation. I mean, the guy who got cut by a knife is literally refusing medical attention? That's not just crazy, that's also super irresponsible. And then there's Bourada, who's being villainized for trying to protect his business and his family. It's like, what's the city supposed to do when crime starts getting out of hand?

I'm really frustrated with how this is playing out. I think the police are doing their best to increase patrols in areas like Gramercy, but it feels like they're just scratching the surface. And what about the business owners who are being forced to shut down because of the constant harassment? It's not just Bourada or Saleh who are struggling, it's entire communities that are being affected.

The fact that one of his colleagues quit their job so quickly is telling. I think we need to have a bigger conversation about what we're doing to address crime in our neighborhoods. We can't just keep expecting business owners to take on all the risk and responsibility for keeping their stores safe. It's time for some real solutions, not just empty promises from city officials

"Knife in hand is just a tool, but city policies that let crime flourish are the real threat "

Man, this is crazy! Bourada did what anyone would do in that situation - protect their business and family . But the fact that his colleague just up and quit because of it? That's messed up . I mean, I get why Saleh is worried about the safety of his store, but it's not like no one else cares. The city needs to step up its game and do something about all this crime . It's not just Bourada who could've gotten hurt, it was anyone walking by that store. And what really gets me is that Saleh's business has been struggling because of the increasing crime in the area? That's just a vicious cycle .

I'm curious to see how this all plays out - will Bourada get charged and spend some time behind bars, or will he get off scot-free? And what about the city's response? Are they really going to crack down on crime in areas like Gramercy, or is it just another case of "we'll get around to it eventually"? Either way, I think this whole situation highlights how tough it is for small business owners to make ends meet in a city that's supposed to be supporting them .

I don't get why this guy has to go through all that stress . Like, isn't his job just to sell deli meat and stuff? shouldn't he be able to do that in peace? And now he's stuck with a big ol' knife hangin' from the wall, and he can't even work there without bein' scared all the time . And what about Ahmed Saleh, man? He's just tryna keep his business goin', but it's like the whole city is against him . I don't know, maybe they should just give him some more security or somethin' . This guy's life got ruined over a stupid knife fight

OMG I feel so bad for Mahmoud and Ahmed, they just want to run their business without any trouble But at the same time, I get why the police had to intervene The thing is, it's like this is happening everywhere in NYC, especially in areas that are supposed to be safe Like, what's the point of having a neighborhood watch if someone's just gonna break the law and then expect everyone else to suffer? And yeah, I feel for the colleague who quit, they're not taking any chances after something like this happens It's all about priorities, right? Safety is key

this is wild, a 34-yr-old deli worker gets arrested for throwing a knife at some dude who was being super aggressive and threatening him, meanwhile the city is all like "oh no, our crime problem is getting out of hand". but seriously tho, how can you expect businesses to thrive when ppl are getting robbed & threatened left & right? saleh's concerns about the city's policies not doing enough to help his business make sense, i feel for him, he's just trying to provide for his family. it's like, what even is the point of having a neighborhood watch if ppl are just gonna get arrested for defending themselves?

I mean, who throws a knife at someone and then gets arrested? Like, what's the protocol here? You protect your business by throwing a knife, or you just call 911 like a normal human being? And btw, a 24-yr-old immigrant from Yemen owning a deli in Gramercy? That's some next level entrepreneurship skills right there... maybe he should open up a franchise?

I'm so worried about these poor deli workers, especially Bourada . I mean, who can blame him for wanting to protect his business and family? The crime situation in Gramercy is getting out of hand . But at the same time, throwing a knife at someone doesn't seem like the best solution . And what's going on with Saleh's business? Is it really that hard to find help? I feel bad for Bourada and his family, but maybe this is the wake-up call they need?

OMG , this is soooo crazy!!! I mean, I get it, Bourada was trying to protect his biz and family but throwing a knife at the guy? That's just askin' for trouble! And now his colleague quits their job over it? Like, what's next? Everyone just gonna up and quit cuz some thing happens in the Gramercy neighborhood? I feel bad for Saleh tho, he seems like a good guy who just wants to make ends meet. But at the same time, I don't blame the police for making the arrest. Safety first, right? The city needs to step up their game and figure out a way to curb this crazy crime problem ASAP. Like, stat!

This whole situation is just wild to me. I mean, can you blame the guy for throwing a knife? The dude was threatening him and refusing to leave his store . And now he's paying the price with an arrest charge. It's like, what's the city gonna do about all these violent incidents in Gramercy? The deli owner is right, it's getting too scary for people to even work there without feeling threatened. I feel bad for Mahmoud Bourada and his family . Maybe the city should just step up their security measures instead of charging him with assault? It's just one more example of how tough it is to run a business in NYC right now .