Heroes of the Month BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
Borough President Adams (center) honors the Heroes of the Month (from left): Hopeton Kiffi n (April), Obocho Peters (May), State
Trooper Joshua Kaye (March), and Jacob Abraham (March). Borough President’s Offi ce/Erica Krodman
Recognizing Brooklynites for their good works
The everyday, unsung heroes of
Kings County rarely get — and
most times do not want — their day
in the spotlight. Such Samaritans, the
borough president’s offi ce upholds,
should be recognized for their courageous,
selfl ess, and impactful actions.
Their strong sense of community is at
the core of what One Brooklyn stands
for.
March 2019
Motorist Jacob Abraham and
State Trooper Joshua Kaye
On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at approximately
2:15 PM, motorist Jacob
Abraham was traveling with his wife
on the lower level of the Verrazzano-
Narrows bridge, bound for Brooklyn,
when the car in front of them suddenly
stopped. After being confused
as to what was going on with the car
ahead, Abraham quickly became
alarmed when its elderly driver got
out, went to the bridge’s railing, and
began climbing over. As other impatient
drivers drove around them,
Abraham approached the man and
asked him what he was doing. When
he heard the response, “I’m going to
jump,” Abraham replied, “No you
won’t!” and grabbed the man by his
belt and his shirt and held on to him
As luck would have it, New York
State Trooper Joshua Kaye happened
32 ONE BROOKLYN | SUMMER 2019
to be cruising by on the bridge and
thought he was approaching a disabled
car. After hearing Abraham screaming
for help, he pulled over and rushed
to assist with the would-be jumper,
who was resisting. While both fi rst responders
struggled to hang on, Abraham’s
wife called 911 and then proceeded
to record from her cell phone
as the drama unfolded. NYPD arrived
on the scene quickly and with their
help and that of another Good Samaritan,
all were able to lift the disturbed
man to safety. Notes in his car gave all
appearances that this was a planned
suicide attempt. The would-be victim
was transported safely to a nearby
hospital, without further incident.
April 2019
MTA Motorman Hopeton Kiffi n
Thursday, April 4, 2019 started out
as just another day at work for express
train operator Hopeton Kiffi n.
That is until he spotted a 13 year old
boy standing by a third rail between
local and express tracks, just past the
Hoyt Street 2/3 local station in Brooklyn.
The boy, on his way to school, had
dropped down to the roadbed and was
hovering dangerously close to a third
rail.
Kiffi n, whose train was going about
15 mph, stopped his train when he saw
the fl ash of a red jacket on the tracks.
After he saw a commuter on the platform
pointing toward the tracks, Kiffi
n stopped his train, climbed down
onto the tracks, and coaxed the sixth
grader aboard his own No. 5 train.
The youth was verbally unresponsive
when Kiffi n spoke to him, but was
obedient in coming along at the conductor’s
prompting. The child, who it
was later revealed was suffering from
depression, was taken to the next stop,
which was Brooklyn Borough Hall,
where police took over and reunited
him with his family.
May 2019
Kidpreneur Obocho Peters
Obocho Peters, a 10-year-old CEOin
training from East Flatbush is on
a mission to help families in need
and to help them save money for their
children’s college fund. And strangely
enough, his inspiration came from
the movie Avengers Infi nity War,
which he went to see with his mother,
Sasha last year. The disappointing realization
that his mom couldn’t afford
to buy him any of the toys associated
with the fi lm gave him the impetus
to take stock of the plight of others
who face a similar dilemma, but in
regards to more serious matters related
to food, clothing, and shelter.
At the young age of nine, he reasoned
that the answer to the problem was to
come up with a solution.
The concept of selling the gentlyused
clothes and shoes that he was
no longer wearing provided him with
the means of bringing extra income
into Obocho’s own household. But he
also had the foresight to realize that
his simple act could have wider reach.
Over the course of the following year,
Obocho, with his mom’s assistance,
built a website titled “I Am Obocho,”
from which he launched a virtual
thrift store to assist other families
in need of affordable clothing and accessories.
He also proactively took
small business classes at CAMBA to
help him gain business expertise and
in May, started a crowdfunding initiative,
Obocho’s Closet, to fund the
opening of a brick-and-mortar store
in Brooklyn (https://ie.gofundme.
com/obochoscloset), and launched his
fi rst of a planned series of free fi nancial
literacy seminars to help educate
low-income families on how to work
toward fi scal fi tness.
Brooklyn Borough Hall congratulates
these and all local heroes for
their dedication and service to Kings
County’s communities!
If you know someone who has gone
above and beyond to help others and
build a stronger borough for everyone,
nominate them by emailing askeric@
brooklynbp.nyc.gov.
/BROOKLYN-USA.ORG
/obochoscloset
/obochoscloset
/ie.gofundme
/brooklynbp.nyc.gov
