A suspect in the death of a Jewish man after a confrontation at dueling pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian protests in California has been identified but not arrested, police say. At a press conference Tuesday, Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said a 50-year-old suspect has been cooperating with authorities during the ongoing investigation, CNN reports. Fryhoff said the suspect stayed at the scene and told officers he was among the people who called 911 after Paul Kessler, 69, fell backwards and hit his head on the ground on Sunday. The sheriff said the suspect was briefly detained for questioning and his home was searched after Kessler died on Monday, reports the AP.
Fryhoff said there was "clearly an interaction" between Kessler and a protester at the Thousand Oaks rally, but "what exactly transpired prior to Mr. Kessler falling backward isn't crystal clear right now." The sheriff said pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian witnesses gave authorities conflicting accounts of the altercation. Jonathan Oswaks, 69, tells the New York Times that he and Kessler had arranged to meet as counter-protesters at a pro-Palestinian rally and were on opposite sides of the street. He says a man with a megaphone yelled in his ear before crossing the street and swinging the megaphone toward Kessler. Fryhoff said investigators haven't determined whether a megaphone was involved.
Kessler's death was ruled a homicide. The sheriff said the possibility of a hate crime has not been ruled out,. "During this time we urge you to remain calm, peaceful and patient," he said, per the Washington Post. Rabbi Michael Barclay of Temple Ner Simcha, near Thousand Oaks, said police are being cautious before making accusations, the AP reports. "We need to do the same; and not let this become a spark that starts an inferno," he said. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)
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