Mohammad Isaifan: Blue Death Of An Immigrant 2

As we continue to navigate the challenging American social landscape of police accountability, where it intersects vis a vis at the flash point of Qualified Immunity, we are paused to collectively reflect on the polarizing nature of "justice," and what it means to some, while maintaining an entirely different stake of claim to others.

Kimberlee Vaughn, lifelong resident of Summit County, Ohio, is no stranger to these ongoing challenges, nor is her daughter, both plagued by struggles with a legal system they feel is leaving them behind, and with it, the life and honor of their beloved Mohammad Isaifan, killed on the morning of December 15th, 2019, by Akron, Ohio (Summit County) Special Duty officers Jamie Rea, and Matthew Akers.  

Vaughn has tirelessly continued her work in seeking accountability, transparency and justice in the shooting death of her late fiancé, (Isaifan), increasing awareness wherever she can about his story, the story of a young Jordanian immigrant, son of a world-renowned eye surgeon, who came to America with dreams of getting into the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA), and one day becoming a police officer himself, while working his way through his OPOTA studies as a well-respected master car mechanic in the city of Akron. 

A gun enthusiast, no different than any other of the 81.4 million above board gun enthusiasts in America with registered and (legal) weapons, killed en route to the shooting range after running out of fuel not far from his place of residence, subsequently walking home presumably to obtain a gas can from his property, to take and fill at a nearby station to continue on his way.  

He would however never make it home, or be seen alive again.

At approximately 8:30am that morning, Officers Rea and Akers were dispatched in response to calls that came in over the radio about an abandoned car in the road; when the officers located Isaifan walking near Brittain Road and Evans Avenue some twenty-four minutes later, per the statement(s) on their report, a struggle ensued when they attempted to search through his clothing, discovering a concealed carry in the process, unknown to them to be registered at the time.

Isaifan at this point, per witness account, and substantiated by clear video feed, turned to walk away from the officers, who then discharged their weapons into his back, killing him, stating that they were in fear for their lives.

The officers wore no body cameras.

Here is what we now know:

Per the Medical Examiner and toxicology report, Isaifan was shot fifteen times, in his back, chest, abdomen, arms and legs. His toxicology report came back clean, ruling out any possibility of drugs or alcohol in his system that could have counteracted the lethality of or justification for fifteen bullets from two weapons at close range. 

The average human free from drugs or alcohol, falls at once when struck by 1-2 bullets from standard issue 9mm weapons at close range, which has escalated the case to determine continual excessive use of force against a citizen that had already fallen to the ground, still receiving a torrent of steady blasts instead of peacekeepers applying cpr in addition to radioing for emergency services.

Civil liability in the case has expanded the docket to Federal District Court, and is now in the hands of Judge David Ruiz, after the Grand Jury headed by the Ohio Attorney General’s office awarded a "no bill" to the defendants in the criminal suit, a proceeding that barred any representation on the part of the plaintiffs and defendants, and moreover, sealed all documents from outside examination by either party.

Hon. Ruiz will hear the case in a status hearing on June 8th, 2022, at the Carl B. Stokes Federal Courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio. 

"It's like we're living December 15th 2019 all over again everyday. The legal system, death threats, nails in my tires. It's a horrible process on the family. And my daughter's health has significantly declined from the stress, severely impacting her mobility. They were best friends. It's really hard on us," Vaughn said.

T. Akers, a local social media account with apparent ties to Matthew Akers, recently went onto Vaughn’s Facebook page, scrolling back several months to a post involving Vaughn’s daughter and the pain she has been through surrounding the death of her father, leaving a message that in many courts would be considered tantamount to cyber bullying. 

Vaughn has now been her daughter's caretaker for the better part of three years, as she continues her efforts in the court system to bring forth as she proudly puts it, "Justice for Mohammad," through the embattled eyes of a mother fighting for her life, the life of her daughter, and the memory of their beloved Mohammad Isaifan. 

A GoFundme has been setup to help her daughter:

https://gofund.me/cb47e739

Ref: the previous article (Dec 2020) http://parmaobserver.com/read/2020/12/01/mohammad-isaifan-blue-death-of-an-immigrant

The Akron Police Department could not be reached for comment.