 "Image courtesy: @amjedmbt")
An Indian man from Telangana was shot dead by the police in California after a scuffle broke out between him and his roommate earlier this month, his family has said.
Mohammed Nizamuddin, a software professional in California, was killed after the Santa Clara police shot at him on September 3. Although the exact details of the incident are not known yet, his family alleges racial discrimination, according to a report by NDTV.
His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, has said that he was informed about Nizamuddin’s death through a friend of his son.
“Today morning I came to know he (Nizamuddin) was shot dead by Santa Clara Police and his mortal remains are in some hospital in Santa Clara, California," Hasnuddin wrote in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
Amjed Ullah Khan, spokesperson of the Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT), posted an urgent appeal from the family on his X account.
Meanwhile, the Santa Clara police said that a man was shot and killed by police after allegedly stabbing his roommate at a home on Eisenhower Drive. Officers responded around 6:18 am on September 3 and found the suspect armed with a knife. He was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The victim was also hospitalised and is being treated for injuries.
Police Chief Cory Morgan said that the fight between Nizamuddin and his roommate escalated, with officials finding the Indian man holding a knife as they arrived at the location.
“Based on our preliminary investigation, we believe the officer’s actions prevented further harm and clearly saved at least one life,” Morgan said.
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