Cambridge police fatally shoot UMass Boston student, prompting accusations of racism and police brutality | New

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A Cambridge Police officer shot and killed an allegedly armed man on Wednesday, prompting dozens of people to protest police brutality and call for transparency at Cambridge City Hall on Thursday.

The man was identified by the Cambridge Police Department on Wednesday evening as Sayed Faisal, 20, a Cambridge resident and student at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Faisal’s death is currently being investigated by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. After seven years with the CPD, the officer who shot Faisal has been placed on administrative leave.

At 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, a 911 caller reported that Faisal had jumped out of the window and appeared to be hurting himself, according to a CPD news release. After a chase through several blocks in Cambridgeport, Faisal reportedly walked towards officers while brandishing a kukri knife. A CPD officer shot Faisal with a non-lethal sponge, the statement said, and when that did not stop Faisal, an officer shot and killed him.

Faisal later died of his injuries after being transported to Massachusetts General Hospital.

The last fatal officer-involved shooting involving Cambridge police happened more than 20 years ago in 2002, CPD spokesman Jeremy C. Warnick wrote in an email Friday.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and City Manager Yi-An Huang 05 said they were deeply saddened by the shooting, adding that the city would hold a community meeting on an unspecified date to address the death. of Faisals.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the deceased, Siddiqui and Huang wrote. We are committed to learning from this case to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone in our community.

The Bangladesh Association of New England, a cultural nonprofit for Bangladeshi Americans, condemned Faisal’s killing as an act of police brutality in a Facebook post Wednesday.

He was the only child in his family. This is not acceptable, the band wrote. We must do justice to this young brother.

The organization has raised around $12,000 to cover the costs of Faisal’s funeral and support his family, starting Friday afternoon. The group also held a rally on Thursday afternoon at Cambridge Town Hall to protest Faisal’s murder, calling for full transparency from the department.

The protest was attended by over 50 people, including friends and family members. Some held handwritten signs reading CPD IS NO EXCEPTION, Justice for Sayed Faisal and We Dont Trust Your BS Investigation. Sayed Mujubullah, Faisal’s father, stood among the protesters with tears in his eyes.

Mujubullah said through a translator that Faisal was a very deserving student in an interview with WCVB.

He was going to the University of Massachusetts, Mujubullah said, adding that he had hoped his son would become a doctor or an engineer.

Now all hope is lost, he added.

Some protesters have accused Faisals’ murder of being racially motivated, and others have questioned the need for Cambridge police to wield lethal weapons, citing the city’s low crime rate compared to d ‘other cities.

Warnick wrote in an email that it would not be appropriate to comment on individual allegations while the shooting is under active investigation, adding that the officer who shot Faisal had not filed a complaint. against him during his career.

The District Attorneys Office will conduct a full and transparent investigation, Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine A. Elow said during a Wednesday briefing after the shooting. The Cambridge Police Department will co-operate 100% with this investigation.

Every time a life is lost in our community, it’s tragic, so we all mourn, she said.

At the rally, New England Bangladesh Association President Pervin A. Chowdhury called for more accountability.

It’s a baby you can’t just shoot, Chowdhury said. This font must be formed.

Cambridge City Councilor Quinton Y. Zondervan offered his condolences to the Faisals family in an emailed statement to The Crimson and called on Cambridge to seek alternatives to the police for public safety.

We must reject the racist system of policing that fails our youth, our minority communities and those in personal crisis, he wrote.

If we don’t drastically change our approach to public safety, it’s only a matter of time before it happens again, Zondervan added.

Personal Editor Ryan H. Doan-Nguyen can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ryandoannguyen.

Writer Yusuf S. Mian can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @yusuf_mian2.

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