2023 police shooting in Cambridge, Massachusetts
The Shooting of Sayed Faisal was a 2023 police shooting in Cambrdge, Massachusetts, United States. On January 4, 2023, Sayed Faisel, a 20-year-old Bangladeshi American student at the University of Massachusetts Boston, was shot and killed by Cambridge Police Department officer Liam McMahon. Cambridge police had responded to a report alleging that Faisel had jumped out of an apartment window with a knife. [citation needed]
Events
Police version
Police allege that after a foot chase, Faisal moved towards officers with a knife. After one officer-Robert Colbert-shot Faisel with a sponge round that didn't stop him, McMahon shot him.[1]
Backlash
The Cambridge Police Department was criticized by counter-protesters for the killing as an alleged act of police brutality, Islamophobia and racism. Counter-protesters and Faisel's family also called the explanation given by police into question, calling for more transparency and police reformation.[2]
Legal case
On October 5, 2023, a Massachusetts judge ruled that the Cambridge police officer who shot Faisel would not be prosecuted and that the shooting was justified.[3]
People involved
- Sayed Faisal, 20-year-old student attending the University of Massachusetts Boston.
- Liam McMahon, police officer working within the Cambridge Police Department since 2015.
- Robert Colbert, police officer.[4]
References