AN APPEAL: Arab kid shot dead by officer from HLS in Mission Viejo!!

[umtalal]

How many people know that an Arab-American college student, walking with his friends to a party in Mission Viejo, was shot at point blank range by an off-duty officer of the Dept. of Homeland Security? This happened on Feb. 6th, and I hadn't heard about it until an activist in Ohio e-mailed me requesting that action be taken! Her alert and letter are copied below.

Here's info about the shooting:
Full report: www.livejournal.com/community/anarchists/698557.html
OC Register: www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/02/08/sections/local/local/article_402241.php
LA Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-agent6feb06,1,2336495,print.story
I'm hoping that groups such as ADC, CAIR, ANSWER, NLG, and others will take the appropriate action. But in the meantime, a simple thing that we can all do is call and e-mail the following and let them know that we're watching them and expect nothing less than full justice.

Customs and Border Protection (Dept. of Homeland Security)
Los Angeles Field Operations Office, general telephone [phone] (8:00 am - 4:30 pm)
Main general number in head office, Washington DC, telephone [phone]
Office of Public Affairs, Kristi Clemens, telephone [phone]

Orange County District Attorney's Office (Tony Rackauckas)
General telephone [phone]
Website: http://www.ocgov.com/da
E-mail: [e-mail]

Orange County Sheriff's Department (Michael S. Carona, Sheriff-Coroner)

1. Lt. Stephen Bernardi, Chief of Police Services, Mission Viejo
Telephone [phone] / E-mail [e-mail]
2. Public Information/Public Affairs Office
Jim Amormino, Director [phone]
3. Criminal Investigation Division
Telephone [phone] / E-mail [e-mail]

If you think its not okay for an officer to shoot an Arab-American kid for no reason and get away with it scott-free, then PLEASE contact all the above (or as many as you can) and let them know!! Otherwise, if we don't make noise, thats becomes a signal that we (Arab-Americans) are fair game.





From: Cheryl Hutchinson
Sent: Wednesday, February 16, 2005 3:39 PM
Subject: Action Requested: Bassim Chmait Murder


Please read below and visit the link. This is an outrageous case of racism and neglect of duty. Please call or at least send emails...you can see the email addresses in the "to" field.
Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2005 15:36:23 -0800 (PST)
From: Cheryl Hutchinson
Subject: Bassim Chmait Murder
To: [e-mail], [e-mail], [e-mail]


Orange County Sherrif's Department:

I was dismayed and disgusted to discover your department has not even investigated the shooting of Bassim Chmait:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/anarchists/698557.html
Off Duty U.S. Customs officer shoots unarmed 19-year old Arab-American in head and face. Authorities state that officer committed no wrong-doing and did not even book him for questioning

This is truly an outrage. I respect law enforcement officers, and have serveral in my family. But this kind of outrageous breach of your basic responsibility to at least conduct a thorough investigation gives Law Enforcement a bad name.

What is your excuse for not launching a proper investigation?

Sincerely,
Cheryl Hutchinson

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Can't recall if I read my Times that day

Yeah their story is officer confronts guys...argument ensues...gun goes off.

Gotta wonder

[TinyAshes]

2. Savages

That's pretty damn awful. These "officers" are gestapo pieces of trash that are in some mind frame that they are invincible and untouchable to any sort of code of law. They are pretty much another gang but with a license to violate every right you have (Patriot Act I). No wrong doing? How do these thugs sleep at night? I noticed in the article that he grabs his gun and his badge...I bet he grabbed his gun first.

[Filimon]

3. investigate

But why did you characterise the victim as a guy "just walking with his friends to a party."

The article clearly stated that there was a fight and the cop ended up with bloody lip. Of course blowing someone's head off is not entirely a proportional response, but if it was 1 against 5-6, and things were getting out of hand, well then maybe things got out of hand.

In any case its always a tragedy.