Activist targeted in California police texting scandal threatens to sue: 'I feel very violated'

SEEN THE POLICE OFFICERS. I KNOW THOSE EXACT POLICE MEMBERS, IT WAS HORRIFYING. >> TONIGHT, FOLLOW-UP FROM THE ANTIOCH TEXTING SCANDAL, INCLUDING LAWSUITS FROM SOME OF THE PEOPLE TARGETED BY POLICE IN THOSE CHAINS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. AMA: THE RACIST AND HOMOPHOBIC TEXT MESSAGES WERE REVEALED BY THE CONTRA COSTA DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BASED ON INFORMATION UNCOVERED FROM AN ONGOING FBI INVESTIGATION INTO THE DEPARTMENT OVER ALLEGED MISCONDUCT. >> NOW IT APPEARS ONE COMMUNITY ACTIVIST IS RAISING CONCERNS OVER CONTINUED STEREOTYPING OF THE ARAB AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES. >>>> WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY AND WE WANT TO WARN YOU THAT IT CONTAINS GRAPHIC LANGUAGE. >> I KNOW THOSE POLICE OFFICERS AND TO KNOW THEY WERE SEXUALIZING ME AND BEING RACIST TOWARDS ME AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WAS HORRIFYING. >> SIX YEARS AGO, SHE WAS NAMED ANTIOCH'S YOUTH LEADER OF THE YEAR. LAST WEEK, SHE WAS IDENTIFIED AS A TARGET IN A 21-PAGE REPORT DETAILING A TEXTING SCANDAL AT THE ANTIOCH POLICE DEPARTMENT, STATING THAT SERGEANT JUST ENG JOSH EVANS STATED -- >L VERY VIOLATED AND TRAUMATIZED, SO I DO FEEL UNSAFE IN THE CITY. >> SHE WAS BORN IN THE U.S. TO A MUSLIM FAMILY THAT PAKISTANI-AFGHAN DISSENT AND ADMITS TO HAVING ENCOUNTERS WITH POLICE, TWICE ARRESTED FOR ACTIVISM, BUT CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES. STILL, SHE CLAIMS THE TEXT MESSAGES GROUP HER BACKGROUND MAKES HER A TARGET. >> WHEN I READ THOSE TEXT FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS, THAT ISN'T ESSENTIALLY THE MENTALITY THEY HAVE COME AT THAT I AM A DOMESTIC TERRORIST. >> THE ANTI-ARAB ANTI-MUSLIM BIASES DEMONSTRATED IN THE TARGETING OF HER IS FIRST AND FOREMOST INACCURATE BECAUSE SHE'S NOT AN ARAB/AMERICAN BUT ALSO REMINISCENT OF HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT TREATS OUR COMMUNITIES AS ALL THE SAME, ALL TERRORISTS, ALL POTENTIALLY VIOLENT. >> THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CARE SAN FRANCISCO SAYS THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ANTIOCH POLICE DEPARTMENT TEXTING SCANDAL BUT ALSO CONTINUING STEREOTYPES OF ARABS AND MUSLIMS. AFTER YEARS OF FIGHTING SURVEILLANCE AT MOSQUES IN THE TRAVEL BAN, THEY ARE CONCERNED THAT THE PER TRAIL OF MUSLIMS NATIONALLY AFFECTS LAW ENFORCEMENT LOCALLY. >> WE HAVE WORKED A LONG TIME TO DISENTANGLE STATE, FEDERAL, LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT TELLS US WE ARE DIFFERENT. STORIES LIKE THIS ONE, THIS TARGETING, WHAT IT SHOWS US IS THAT WE MAY NOT BE THAT DIFFERENT AT ALL. >> SHE SAYS SHE IS NOT ANTI-POLICE BUT FACES HARASSMENT FROM PEOPLE THINK THAT SHE IS. SHE NOW PLANS TO FILE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ANTIOCH POLICE DEPARTMENT. >> IF WE DON'T CHANGE

Channel: ABC7 News Bay Area

Views: 11,998

Keywords: news, abc, abc7news, antioch police department, antioch police racist texts, Shagoofa Khan, antioch police report, antioch police texts, antioch police investigation, Arab, Muslim, Pakistani, afghan, Sergeant Josh Evans, Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, antioch alleged misconduct, antioch police dept, antioch city council, police racism

Id: D8vCaZfQfhs

Length: 3min 23sec (203 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 18 2023