Kessler died of blunt force head trauma consistent with a fall, and his death has been ruled a homicide.
Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, a professor at Moorpark College, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury in the death of Paul Kessler.
The case has been complicated by conflicting witness statements and unclear surveillance footage.
Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, a professor at Moorpark College, has been arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter and battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the death of Paul Kessler, a Jewish man who died from injuries sustained during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, California. Kessler was part of a group of pro-Israel demonstrators who attended the event.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Office is booking Alnaji on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, with bail set at $1 million. The charges include special allegations that Alnaji personally inflicted 'great bodily injury' on Kessler. Kessler died of blunt force head trauma consistent with a fall, and his death has been ruled a homicide. However, the Ventura County medical examiner noted that this was a clinical determination, not a criminal one.
The case has been complicated by conflicting witness statements and unclear surveillance footage. It was reported that Kessler was struck with a megaphone just before his fall. Alnaji, who had expressed pro-Palestinian views on his social media accounts, will not face hate crime charges, a decision that has been met with disappointment by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and a rabbi who spoke to witnesses.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles have both issued statements condemning violence. The incident, which occurred during a pro-Palestinian demonstration, has sparked international attention and raised concerns about the safety of protesters.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles commended the authorities' work and stated that violence towards the Jewish community will not be tolerated.
Kessler was reportedly struck with a megaphone just before his fall.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and a rabbi who spoke to witnesses expressed disappointment that Alnaji was not charged with a hate crime.
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“I am disappointed that the defendant was not charged with the hate crime,” Rabbi Mark Blazer told The Post. “As I understand the facts, the defendant struck Mr. Kessler with a bull horn because Mr. Kessler was expressing his support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.