A 30-year-old man from Telangana, who died after being shot by police in the US during an altercation, had earlier claimed he was a victim of “racial hatred and discrimination.”
Mohammed Nizamuddin, from Mahabubnagar district, was shot by Santa Clara Police officers on September 3 after they found him stabbing a roommate.
Before the incident, Nizamuddin wrote on social media that he faced “racial hatred, discrimination, harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of justice.”
He added: “Today I decided to raise my voice against all odds… Oppression of corporate tyrants must end, and everyone involved must be punished severely.”
He also alleged that his employers created a hostile environment, withheld wages, and fired him unfairly. According to his posts, the harassment continued with the support of a “racist detective.” He further claimed his food was poisoned and that he was being evicted for resisting injustice.
His father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, said in Hyderabad that details of what happened remain unclear. He added that Nizamuddin had been working as a software professional in the US after completing his MS there.
Police said they received a 911 call at 6:18 am about a stabbing in Santa Clara. When officers arrived, they found Nizamuddin attacking a victim with a knife. Despite verbal commands to stop, he continued the assault. An officer then shot him four times.
Nizamuddin was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead. The victim, who suffered multiple stab wounds, was treated and later released.
Santa Clara Police chief Cory Morgan said the officer’s actions “clearly saved at least one life and possibly others.” He added that body-worn camera footage showed Nizamuddin pinning the victim to the ground and raising a knife to strike.
The officer involved, Robert Allsup, has 12 years of service and is trained in crisis intervention. His body camera was on throughout the incident.
“Any loss of life is tragic,” Morgan said. “But the officer’s split-second decision ensured nobody else was killed or seriously injured.”
The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and police are jointly investigating the case.
The Indian Consulate in San Francisco expressed sorrow over Nizamuddin’s death and said it is in touch with his family and local authorities. His father has appealed to the Indian government for help in bringing his son’s body back home.
Meanwhile, Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan urged India's external affairs minister S Jaishankar to support the family.
(PTI)
