Newly video footage released on Wednesday captured the final moments of Muhammad Muhaymin Jr., a Black Muslim man in US, before he was killed by Phoenix police in 2017.
The graphic nine-minute video shows 43-year-old Muhaymin pinned down by several Phoenix police officers, with at least one officer placing his knee on Muhaymin’s back and neck. Although the transcript was previously reported, this is the first time the public is seeing raw footage of an officer mocking Muhaymin’s faith.
“Today, civil rights advocates released body camera footage of the Phoenix police killing of Muhammad Muhaymin Jr. with clear audio of an officer mocking Muahymin’s Muslim faith. Advocates also announced expanded efforts to urge Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego and Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel to fire, charge and arrest the officers responsible for this 2017 death and to appoint a special criminal prosecutor. To date, none of the officers involved have been disciplined or charged and all still work for the Phoenix Police Department,” read the press release from ‘Muslim Advocates’, a civil rights organisation in US.
Muhaymin was killed by officers after he tried to bring his service dog into the bathroom of a community center in Maricopa County in Arizona. Despite being unarmed and non-violent, Muhaymin was pinned down by four Phoenix police officers with their knees on his neck, head and body, leading to his brutal death.
In the never before seen footage from the body camera of Officer Jason Hobel, an officer is heard clearly for the first time cruelly responding to Muhaymin’s plea of “Please, Allah” with “Allah? He’s not going to help you right now.” Moments later, Muhaymin is killed.
Muhaymin’s death, which is eerily similar to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, took place in January 2017, but is now being revisited in the wake anti-racism protests and national outrage over the targeting of Black people by law enforcement. Advocates and Muhaymin’s family said that three years after his murder, they are still waiting for justice.
