Jewish Man Dies After Confrontation During Protests Over Israel-Hamas War in California

A Jewish man in California has died after getting into a confrontation during dueling protests over the Israel-Hamas war, authorities said.

Transcript

00:00 On November 5th, 2023 at approximately 3 20 in the evening, the sheriff's

00:05 communication center received multiple calls regarding a possible assault in an

00:10 unconscious male who was bleeding at the intersection of Thousand Oaks Boulevard

00:14 and West Lake Boulevard in the city of Thousand Oaks. The suspect was identified,

00:18 willingly remained at the scene and was interviewed by deputies. The suspect was

00:24 cooperative and indicated he was involved in an altercation with Mr Kessler. The suspect further

00:29 stated that he was in one of the reporting parties who called 911 requesting medical

00:33 attention for Mr Kessler. During the investigation at the scene, deputies determined that the

00:38 altercation with Mr Kessler, he fell backward and struck his head on the ground. What exactly

00:43 transpired prior to Mr Kessler falling backward isn't crystal clear right now. Investigators have

00:48 not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime and this is being investigated as a homicide.

00:54 Yesterday afternoon, detectives obtained a search warrant for the suspect and the suspect's

00:57 residence. At 4 58 p.m. detectives conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by the

01:03 suspect in the city of Simi Valley. The suspect was detained and until the completion of the

01:09 search warrant and he was released at 6 15 p.m. It is our understanding that Mr Kessler, a U.S.

01:14 citizen who practices the Jewish faith, was at the event supporting Israel. The suspect in this case

01:20 is a 50 year old who resides in Moorpark and was at the intersection advocating for Palestine.

01:27 We understand that the war in Israel and Gaza has led to an increase in hateful and threatening

01:32 rhetoric and we want to assure the Muslim and Jewish communities that we stand with them both

01:37 during this difficult time. The Ventura County Sheriff's Office remains committed to protecting

01:42 the rights and safety of all members of our community regardless of their race, religion,

01:48 or ethnicity. To this end, we have increased patrols around mosques and our Muslim community

01:54 centers and Jewish houses of worship. I can just tell you that the information we're getting

01:58 is conflicting with one another. There was clearly an interaction between the two

02:02 but what that level of interaction is is still unclear. The autopsy demonstrated non-lethal

02:10 injuries to the left side of Mr Kessler's face. Additional injuries included injury to the back

02:16 of the head. These injuries are consistent with and typical of injuries sustained from a fall.

02:23 The cause of death has been certified as blunt force head trauma.

02:26 The manner of death is homicide. The manner of death is a medical legal determination.

02:33 A manner of death of homicide does not indicate that a crime has been committed.

02:39 This is a determination that is made by the District Attorney's Office.