A pro-Palestinian university professor from Southern California was arrested Thursday on suspicion of the involuntary killing of a Jewish demonstrator during a protest against Israel’s war against Hamas.
Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 50, was arrested on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter, Ventura County authorities said, and a charging decision is expected by the end of the day, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
Paul Kessler, 69, died in hospital on November 6 after clashing the day before with the now-detained suspect during what started as a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Thousand Oaks, a suburb north of Los Angeles.
BREAKING: A California man has been arrested in connection with the Nov. 5 death of Paul Kessler, 69, during a meeting on the war between Israel and Hamas, according to law enforcement.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said Kessler suffered skull fractures and swelling and… pic.twitter.com/7U0IT7DPLZ
– ABC News (@ABC) November 16, 2023
Kessler was among a group of pro-Israel protesters who showed up at the rally that was billed as a peaceful gathering in support of the Palestinians, official sources said.
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said deputies at the time determined Kessler fell backwards and hit his head on the ground, but investigators had not previously obtained clear video footage of what they described as an altercation between the two men.
Fryhoff turned to citizens for help and requested additional recordings.
The suspect remained at the scene and told authorities he had called 911, Fryhoff added, noting that he was briefly held for questioning and search.
Fryhoff said investigators received conflicting information from witnesses on both sides about what happened, undermining the witnesses’ credibility and making it difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.
County Medical Examiner Christopher Young said an autopsy showed Kessler died of head injuries consistent with a fall, adding that the victim also had injuries consistent with a blow to the face, but it was not possible to determine determine what caused the fall.
Demonstrations have increased and tension is rising in the United States as the death toll in the war between Israel and Hamas rises.
Alnaji, a professor of computational sciences at Moorpark University, had expressed pro-Palestinian views on his page on the social network Facebook and other accounts on other networks, many of which have since been suspended, according to the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press reports on (AP).
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said in a statement that it was grateful for the work of the county sheriff.
“The arrest shows that violence against our Jewish community will not be tolerated,” the federation said.
Source: DN
