Muslim referred to as Jewish household ‘soiled individuals’ in park then tried to inform cops that he had First Amendment proper to take action, prosecutors say
A Muslim man argued he had First Amendment rights to call a Jewish family ‘dirty people’ at a Miami Beach park, prosecutors said.
Ahmad Zeeshan, 32, was arrested on Thursday after he allegedly approached a Jewish family at Stillwater Park and shouted anti-Semitic slurs at them, NBC Miami reported.
‘Are you guys Jewish?’ he allegedly asked, according to Local 10 News. After confirmation, he allegedly yelled: ‘Get the f**k out of here, you f**king dirty people.’
Zeeshan then allegedly threatened to attack the father, an arrest report said.
The father allegedly pulled a gun out after feeling his and his children’s safety was being threatened, the outlet reported. He allegedly asked Zeeshan to get away from them multiple times before pulling out the weapon, CBS reported.
A woman at the park allegedly asked the Jewish family to stand behind her as she was also disturbed by Zeeshan’s behavior.
The father allegedly asked her to film the encounter and to call the police. Zeeshan also began to film, before he left the park in a car, according to Local 10 News.
Both men called police, with Zeeshan saying the Jewish father had threatened him with a gun, while the dad said the man had berated him with anti-Semitic slurs.
Ahmad Zeeshan, 32, was arrested on Thursday after berating a Jewish family in Stillwater Park in Miami Beach
While being arrested, he told police he had a First Amendment right to call the Jewish family ‘dirty people’ and that he ‘does not like Jews’
While being arrested, the Muslim man told police he had a First Amendment right and that he ‘does not like Jews,’ Local 10 News reported.
‘For what reason?’ Zeeshan asked police as they put in him cuffs, bodycam footage showed.
Officers noted in their report that Zeeshan appeared to be suffering from a mental episode, NBC Miami reported.
The Muslim man allegedly told police he had stage four cancer and ‘likely would not be alive in a few months,’ Local 10 News reported.
The man was taken to Miami-Dade County Jail, where he remains after a judge issued a $5,000 bond.
‘The alleged behavior is disgusting,’ Judge Antonio Arzola said during the hearing.
Zeeshan was charged with assault motivated by prejudice. He has no prior criminal history.
Zeeshan was arrested and charged with assault motivated by prejudice
The Jewish father pulled a gun on Zeeshan at the park after asking him to back up. The Jewish father was not arrested
The Jewish father, whose children are five and seven, is not facing any charges.
Christopher Bess, a Miami Beach Police spokesperson, said: ‘The moment you threaten to physically attack someone, the moment you convey anti-Semitic slurs in front of kids and charge someone, you’re breaking the law, and we made an arrest.’
