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| New Bodycam Video From Paul Kessler Murder Scene Contradicts Defense's Claims |
| 2026-07-01 |
Twitter videos at the link. [RedState] As Muslim college professor Loay Alnaji …more fully Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji, 53, a computer science professor, who has been a faculty advisor for Moorpark College’s Muslim Student Association — a long-established youth arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in America — and is an active member of the Islamic Society of Simi Valley. His YouTube channel, shut down after his arrest, while said to be an adjunct to his classroom teaching, was reportedly chock full of videos in Arabic… is set to be sentenced on June 30 for fatally assaulting a Jewish man, Paul Kessler, in November 2023, bodycam footage from the day of the attack exclusively shared with RedState contradicts the narrative his attorney has set.Alnaji, one of the leaders of a pro-Hamas contingent protesting against Israel in Thousand Oaks, California, on November 5, 2023, crossed two major thoroughfares to confront Kessler, who'd had the audacity to stand on a corner opposite Alnaji's group and wave an Israeli flag. As words were exchanged, Kessler took out his phone to video Alnaji, at which time Alnaji "decked" Kessler, according to an eyewitness. Ron Bamieh, Alnaji's attorney, claims his client acted in self-defense and is “not a violent man. If he crossed the street to confront a Zionist instead of yelling from his own corner, his motivation was not peaceable discussion. He was at a rally exercising his right to protest, a tragic chain of events followed.” He says, “Mr. Kessler approached the crowd and yelled at demonstrators to ‘stop beheading babies.’ When he turned toward Mr. Alnaji — phone pointed at him — Mr. Alnaji swiped at the phone with his hand, which was holding a megaphone. He inadvertently struck Kessler on the side of the head. Kessler then fell, striking his head on the pavement.”In early May, as we reported, Alnaji entered an open guilty plea to one count of involuntary manslaughter and felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury, with a serious felony enhancement and aggravating factors of weapons use and vulnerable victim for both counts. According to Bamieh, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Derek Malan indicated that he would sentence Alnaji to one year in prison followed by three years probation. Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko's office is opposed to a probationary sentence, as is Kessler's family. According to video and witness evidence, some of which was published at the time of the assault, Bamieh's narrative leaves out a few things. A man who was with Kessler and another man, Jon Oswaks, said in a statement to law enforcement which was also provided to RedState that when the group arrived at 3 PM, "No one was on any of the four corners at that time as far as I could tell. There certainly was no one on the Shell station corner and no one on the Northeast corner where the large grass area is." That man, who we'll call James, said that he routinely wears a body camera "at dynamic events" so his hands would be free and he could capture everything. As he stood on the corner where the Shell station is with Kessler he realized he had a second body camera in his vehicle and went to his car to retrieve it so either Kessler or Oswaks could wear it. When he returned to the corner, a handful of pro-Hamas people had arrived; he stated that "none were there when I left." (Note: On the bodycam videos labeled 000000, the actual time is the camera time minus an hour and 15 minutes, so on this photo the actual time is 15:14.) James then crossed Westlake Boulevard to bring the body camera to Oswaks, and as he crosses, he passes Alnaji and Nashat Mshaiel, then-president of the Islamic Society of Simi Valley mosque. Alnaji is also a member of the ISSV mosque and at the time served as the faculty advisor to the Moorpark College Muslim Student Association, where his son was an officer. Mshaiel and ISSV Imam Shaikh Omar Jubran had angrily exchanged words with a pro-Israel counter-protester the week prior, with Mshaiel lunging at the man before ISSV's registered agent Munir Merchant held him back. Kessler and Oswaks had also exchanged words with Mshaiel. A younger man there at the prior protest reportedly pulled a gun on Oswaks, but was gone by the time Sheriff's deputies arrived. Oswaks identified that man for James on November 5, and Jubran said to Oswaks, "I remember you from last week." It's clear from these videos and statements that Mshaiel took Alnaji to that corner to confront Kessler because of the beef they'd had the week before, and that their actions were motivated by antisemitism and this wasn't a simple case of two old men getting a little too heated. Related: Loay Alnaji 05/08/2026 Jewish leaders decry ‘inadequate’ plea deal for California man guilty of pro-Israel protester’s death Loay Alnaji 05/18/2024 California college professor to stand trial in death of pro-Israel protester last year Loay Alnaji 11/09/2023 Home of suspect in killing of elderly Jewish man at pro-Palestinian protest searched by police Related: Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji 05/08/2026 Jewish leaders decry ‘inadequate’ plea deal for California man guilty of pro-Israel protester’s death Loay Abdelfattah Alnaji 05/18/2024 California college professor to stand trial in death of pro-Israel protester last year |
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