December, 23 2014, 01:15pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper,Phone: 202-744-7726,E-Mail:,ihooper@cair.com
CAIR to Join Call for Probe of 'Excessive' Police Action Targeting Santa Clara Muslim
SAN JOSE, CA
On Tuesday, December 23, the San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), along with Daniel Mayfield of Carpenter & Mayfield, will hold a press conference to call for an independent investigation into allegations of excessive actions used by police against a Santa Clara Muslim.
Mohammad Moneeb, a 20-year resident of Santa Clara, was arrested and his family home raided in search of an allegedly stolen dash camera worth no more than $400.
More than a dozen law enforcement agents used assault rifles, a battering ram and brute force to enter his home on March 27, 2014, leaving thousands of dollars in damage. Moneeb was arrested and charged with possession of stolen property, even though no stolen property was ever recovered. The charges were dropped on December 18, 2014.
SEE: Muslim Group Claims Cops Mistreated Santa Clara Man
WHAT: Press Conference to Call for Probe of 'Excessive' Police Action Targeting Santa Clara Muslim
WHEN: Tuesday, December 23, 9 a.m.
WHERE: The offices of Carpenter & Mayfield, 730 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95112
CONTACT: Daniel Mayfield, 408.287.1916, CAIR-SFBA, 626.252.0885
Lead attorney Daniel Mayfield said:
"Officers were allegedly looking for the missing camera yet they did such things as squeeze the toothpaste and roll out the deodorant. More importantly, before raiding my client's house they had interviewed the co-defendant Mr. Aftab Chaudhry, who told the police that he had the camera. Mr. Chaudhry's house was never searched. This is a clear case of overreaction by the police where maximum force was used for no legitimate reason."
"The Santa Clara Police Department's decision to treat a local American Muslim family like a group of violent criminals over a missing $400 video camera is troubling and problematic," said Brice Hamack, CAIR California's northern California civil rights coordinator. "If left unaddressed, these situations can destroy bridges of trust between the police department and the communities they seek to protect."
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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