Telangana man shot dead by cops in US, officials say he stabbed roommate

Hyderabad: A 30-year-old Telangana man was allegedly shot dead by the Santa Clara police in the US following an alleged "scuffle" with his roommate,  his family members said on Thursday.

The deceased is Mohammed Nizamuddin, was a native of the Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. According to his family, he had been working as a software professional in the USA after completing his MS there.

The victim's father, Mohammed Hasnuddin, told PTI that the incident took place on September 3, but what exactly happened remains unclear, citing the information he received from his son's friend. As per reports, Nizzamuddin fought with his roommate following a quarrel over using the Air Conditioner. 

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Santa Clara police department (SCPD) has justified their actions. Police Chief Cory Morgan claimed Nizammudin had stabbed his roommate and continued to attack despite being told to stand down when the police had to intervene.

What US police said
According to the Santa Clara police, they received a call alerting them about the stabbing incident on September 3 at 6.18 am. “Santa Clara Police Department (SCPD) officers responded to the 1800 Block of Eisenhower Drive in Santa Clara for the report of a stabbing in a residence. The caller stated the suspect had stabbed one victim in the residence,” the statement read.

Chief Morgan said there was an altercation between the two roommates. “The situation had escalated, and the suspect was stabbing his roommate. The first-arriving officer ran to the front door and identified himself. The officer could hear a loud commotion inside and decisively made a crisis entry by kicking open the locked front door. The officer quickly followed the sound to the hallway where the attack was taking place. The officer saw four people in the hallway, including the suspect who was straddling the victim, effectively pinning him to the ground,” Chief Morgan said, while showing images from the body camera.

Though the police personnel tried to de-escalate the situation with verbal commands, Nizammudin ignored them and raised his hand again in a striking position. After the officer noted that the knife was coming again at the victim, he fired four bullets into Nizammuddin. He was rushed to a hospital, but the doctors pronounced him dead. 

The SCPD chief pointed out that Nizammudin used two knives to attack the victim, whose identity is unclear. The first knife broke away at the handle during the attack, after which he retrieved another one. 

"Based on our preliminary investigation, we believe the officer's actions prevented further harm and clearly saved at least one life," Morgan said.

Family seeks centre's help
Nizammudin's family was informed about his death on Thursday morning. According to his father, they have requested the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's help in bringing his son's mortal remains back to Mahabubnagar. He has also requested the minister to ask the Embassy of India in Washington, DC and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco for assistance in the same.

Majlis Bachao Tahreek (MBT) spokesperson Amjed Ullah Khan, who shared the letter with the media, urged the External Affairs Minister to help the family in the matter.