Death of California Elderly Jewish Man at Dueling Pro-Israel/’Pro-Palestine’ Rallies Ruled a Homicide
The Sheriff’s Department has not ruled out the possibility of investigating Paul Kessler’s death as a hate crime.
Now we know the details.
Authorities ruled the death of Paul Kessler, 69, a homicide. From the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department:
A 69-year-old man, identified as Paul Kessler, died as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation at a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian event, both of which were occurring simultaneously at the intersection of Westlake Blvd. and Thousand Oaks Blvd. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.
On November 5, 2023, at approximately 3:20 PM, multiple citizens called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center to report a battery had occurred at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard in the City of Thousand Oaks. The intersection was the location of a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian demonstration.
Upon arrival, responding deputies located Kessler, who was suffering from a head injury. Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s). During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground. Kessler was transported to an area hospital for advanced medical treatment. On November 6, 2023, Kessler succumbed to his injuries.
The medical examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt force head injury. It is a homicide.
A man at the rally described the anti-Israel people as “extremely aggressive.” They yelled at the police, “trying to incite a reaction or response.”
In the video, you see ONE “pro-Palestine” person going over to Kessler. Just one.
Only one.
BREAKING: A pro-Palestine protester has been arrested after killing a 65 year old Jewish man by hitting him over the head with a megaphone during a verbal altercation in the Thousand Oaks area of LA.
The man suffered from a brain hemorrhage as a result & succumbed to his… pic.twitter.com/sCY4MgraGB— Leftism (@LeftismForU) November 7, 2023
#UPDATE from @VENTURASHERIFF on the murder of Paul Kessler, who died due to injuries sustained after a pro-Palestinian protester reportedly hit him in the face with a megaphone.
Jews are being murdered in the streets. It's America 2023, but it feels like Germany 1938. pic.twitter.com/HkGTlrSAWG
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) November 7, 2023
Candle light vigil at the corner where Mr Paul Kessler was murdered.
🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/SVlBK9Zz8D— Rabid Dentite 🇮🇱 (@PatrioticCoach) November 7, 2023
Locals in Thousand Oaks, California, held a vigil for Paul Kessler on November 6, after he died in what police called an “altercation” during protests related to the Israel-Gaza conflict. pic.twitter.com/l1X5lCIBLa
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) November 7, 2023
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Comments
This is disgraceful. Investigating to “determine” if it was a hate crime? Calling it an “altercation”?
Pro-Pali attacks and kills an unarmed old man by hitting him on the head with a heavy object; Were they neighbors quarrelling over a broken fence? Had they both been in a bar and started fighting dover a woman? Who aggressively approached whom?
Although the assailant probably didn’t expect to kill that old guy, one can reasonably assume he would have explicitly done so had he had a more efficient weapon.
And yet, as far I can determine no one is detained in the homicide.
We have Jews killed in the street. We have Pro-Pali women driving their cars into what is believed to be an Israeli organization.
I don’t see any Jews killing people, except the murderous bunch living in Palestine.
Yes, it needs to be determined whether it was any crime at all, and then whether it was a hate crime.
Maybe. Last I heard the police did not yet have evidence of this, and were looking for some. Even if they could prove he hit him, they’d also have to prove it was not self defense. And then they’d have to look for the motive.
No. We know what their disagreement was about. That alone does not prove the crime (if there was one) was motivated by hatred. On the contrary, it could easily have been motivated simply by anger at the victim’s words.
That doesn’t matter at all. “Aggressive approach” is not a crime, and doesn’t automatically justify self-defense, nor does it rule out self-defense by the approacher. All of this needs to be proven, and that takes time.
Maybe he would have, but I don’t think one can reasonably just assume it.
It’s most likely that the guy is guilty, and sufficient evidence of that will soon be found to justify arresting him and then convicting him. But the police are correctly not jumping the gun.
Where is the leftie media outrage like after charlottesville??
Why the media double standards??
The murderer is part of their social circle.
The media has no standards. They are the propaganda arm of the Democrat/Marxist/Anti-Israeli faction. A modern day Nazi party seeking the extermination of Jews.
“By any means necessary,” including murdering a 69-year-old Jewish man in Southern California waving a flag.
“From the river to the sea…”
Why are we surprised when the left does what they constantly threaten to do?
That’s their plan for Israel. Their plan here is “from sea to shinging sea”.
America really needs to clean house. There is way too much trash.
Up to and including the trash living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They forgot to. Close the door to the dumpster at the southern border, and now the trash and rats have spilled over.
The stench is nasty.
Muslim supremacists, terrorists and Islamofascists engaging in violence — the only response they have to any interaction with non-Muslims.
Western Society – kill their babies in the womb.
Middle Eastern Society – breed like rabbits to replace the west.
Quantity over quality. No point in investing much effort when all they expect of them is to be barbarians.
Mary, I have a problem with your headline. It (despite being an improvement over places like the NYT) still says “at Dueling Pro-Israel/’Pro-Palestine’ Rallies”. Well, that makes it sound like he stood somewhere in-between them and just died. The article makes clear that he was standing on one side of the intersection and one of the pro-terrorists approached him and struck him.
Yes, that makes it “at” the dueling rallies, given that both sides were involved. But, in reality, he was attacked by a “protester” from the other side. He was killed at the pro-Israel rally by someone who crossed over from the other gathering.
Maybe I’m being a pedant. But it seems hard for even the folks trying to write truth to write an active voice, clear headline nowadays. (Yes, “Death … Ruled a Homicide” is active voice; not complaining about that part.)
As to the actual event, it’s awful, and there shouldn’t be any question it’s a “hate crime” and – even though I despise the very concept – it should be charged as one within another 24 hours or you’re proving there will be a miscarriage of justice.
Here we go with terms…. “homicide” is obvious… death of a person. Let’s see…. assault and battery to do bodily harm…. negligent homicide for sure. Can’t see murder on this one… but with “hate crime” added. How could it not be hate…duh… Since the attacker had the bullhorn…. and singly approached the group…. fortunately not in Gascon territory otherwise Kessler would have been at fault…. “commemorating while Jewish”.
Homicide was not obvious at first. He could have tripped and hit his head in the fall. Having witnesses to the assault matters.
There’s a famous Bob Dylan song about unintentional homicide. The lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll. Hit someone, and they unexpectedly die. The likely sentence will be unsatisfying, unless it’s ruled a hate crime.
“In the video, you see ONE “pro-Palestine” person going over to Kessler. Just one. Only one.”
You should add, “to help him.” I thought you were talking about the person who hit him, and couldn’t figure out why the video started too late.
Well… at least one of the scum had a sense of humanity.
We should never flag in our efforts to combat antisemitism.
2 take aways from the reporting on this: first stop calling it an altercation and say what actually happened. Were they fighting one another? Was this guy attacked?
Second I’m laughing at the gas prices in California. You get what you vote for.
They were still taunting the man “hitler didn’t want you”, as he was being carted away
As far as I know, no one has been arrested for this.
This is Leftist, actively pro-HAMAS California.
1) How seriously are they looking for the killer [for manslaughter or “hate crime” or whatever]?
2) If a suspect is actually found and arrested, given the political theology and nature of prosecutors in California will the suspect be charged appropriately?
3) If charged, will the suspect be automatically given a PR bond and vanish into thin air with no one really looking for him?
4) If brought to trial, will the DA work a plea bargain for a charge just slightly worse than jaywalking?
5) If convicted, will there be a sentence even vaguely equivalent to what a non-favored-and-protected-class would receive?
Subotai Bahadur
The answer to all your questions is exactly the opposite of the one you’re so obviously looking for.
I think we know what would happen immediately if the 69-year-old Jewish man was instead an individual like George Floyd.
If everything else remained the same, i.e. the Floyd-like victim was demonstrating for Israel and the alleged assailant was demonstrating for Hamas, I don’t know that you’re right. I think in such a case there probably wouldn’t be riots every night or widespread arson.