Slain Emirati student's family awaits justice

Abu Dhabi - "A good neighbour, extremely friendly"... friends and classmates in shock.

Father of slain Emirati student Saif Nasser Mubarak Alameri said the family awaits justice on his son's case who died after a police officer shot him in the head in Ohio.

Speaking to Khaleej Times over the phone, Nasser Alameri said he received the news on Tuesday night through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Adnoc, where his 26-year-old son used to work before the company offered a scholarship to get a Masters Degree in Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

"We still don't know the details of what had happened and we are following the investigation closely with the ministry," said Nasser.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that Saif had caused a car crash and allegedly ran away from the vehicle. When he was found, the city of Hudson said that there was a struggle between an officer and Saif before shots were fired.

"A police officer caught up to Alameri, a struggle ensued and the officer opened fire, police reported," the Journal said.

According to the newspaper, the officer was treated for minor injuries and is now on paid leave pending the results of the investigation. The Summit County medical examiner ­revealed the cause of the death is a gunshot wound to the head and that the death was a homicide.

"There has been a lot of contradictions in the American media. While they call it a homicide, we read that the officer is on paid leave, which is ironic," said Nasser.

"When someone is killed, the offender is detained pending the results of the investigation," he added.

While the family is currently in a mourning state, Nasser said they will wait for the results of the investigation before deciding the next action to take.

"We have deep trust in the government, and we know that they will not let the case go until we get a clear image of what had happened," said Nasser. He added that his mother and siblings are still in a state of shock.

He added that the family will not rely on what the media reports until an official report from the ministry is released.

Asked whether his son had previously complaints of harassments, given the recent hate crimes that have targeted Arabs and Muslims, Nasser replied, "When he first landed in the US, nothing was reported from his side. But later on, I cannot tell."

The last call

Saif, the eldest of six siblings, had travelled to the US last year to study law. He was meant to graduate in May 2017. He graduated from UAE university with a Bachelor's degree in law.

Last time his father heard from him was two days before the accident. "He spoke to me on the phone and said he was preparing for his examinations. He was planning to visit during the Christmas holiday," said Nasser.

Saif's body is expected to arrive to Abu Dhabi on Thursday night and funeral prayers will be held after Friday prayers. The Emirati student will be buried in Baniyas Graveyard in Abu Dhabi.

Nasser said his late son was known among family members and friends with his good manners and ethics. "I will not talk much about how good he was. But when the media interviewed his American friends, they all had nothing but good things to say about him. He was known for being helpful and polite towards everybody he knew," said Nasser.

He concluded by offering his special thanks to the ministry for their efforts and to Adnoc who continue to provide the family with support until today.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Mer Al Raisi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said in a statement on Tuesday that the investigation is followed up in coordination with the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C.

"In light of this follow-up, and after details of the painful incident are clarified by the authorities, the Ministry will issue a more comprehensive statement at a later time," Al Raisi said.

Messages from America

Friends and classmates of slain Emirati student Saif Nasser Mubarak Alameri "cannot believe" his killing at the hands of an Ohio police officer.

In a local TV broadcast in Ohio, one of his friends described him as being extremely friendly. "Every time I saw him he would always say hi and ask me how I'm doing," the young lady said. "He was so nice. He would have friends over and they would always say hi to me and everything like that."

"There was no bad interaction between me and him," she added.

Another young woman who in the apartment above him described him as "a good neighbour."

"We were friendly. It's very upsetting what happened. He was a really good guy, and he was interested in law school here at Case (Western Reserve University," she noted. "It's upsetting to hear that would happen to someone like that."

The broadcast also included portions of the 911 calls made to emergency dispatchers during the incident which led to Alameri's death.

"He's running in the eastbound direction on the southbound lanes," a man said. "The car's overturned."