Photo: Ethan Swope / Getty Images News / Getty Images
An elderly Jewish man was killed during an altercation with a pro-Palestinian protestor during dueling protests in Thousand Oaks, California, on Sunday (November 5). Witnesses said that 69-year-old Paul Kessler got into an argument with an unnamed protester that turned physical. During the argument, Kessler was knocked to the ground and struck his head on the pavement.
Paramedics treated Kessler at the scene before taking him to the hospital, where he died on Monday. An autopsy conducted by the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined his death was a homicide due to a blunt-force head injury.
The Ventura County Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident and has not ruled out filing hate crime charges against the alleged perpetrator.
The sheriff's office said that witnesses gave conflicting reports about what happened.
While bystanders recorded video of the aftermath of the incident, investigators have yet to find video of Kessler being knocked to the ground.
Officials did not identify the suspect but said they are cooperating with the investigation. After Kessler died on Monday, officers pulled over the suspect in their vehicle and briefly detained him while executing a search warrant at his home.
"This is an active and ongoing investigation, and the incident appears to be isolated and not part of a large effort," the sheriff's office said in a statement.