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Hi Friend,
My name is David Chami; I’m an attorney in Arizona. Over the past several years it has been my honor to represent Muhammad Muhaymin Jr.'s family as we demanded accountability from the Phoenix, Arizona police department that killed Mr. Muhaymin in 2017.
Mr. Muhaymin’s family and I have been grateful for the resources and expertise that Muslim Advocates brought to our fight. I recently told my friends at Muslim Advocates that I wanted to do what I could to ensure that they have the resources to continue to contribute in the important way they have to the Muhaymin family’s difficult work.
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Muhammad Muhaymin, Jr. was a father of two, born and raised in Phoenix. He was also a Black man who was disabled and lived with Chiquita, his small Chihuahua service dog. In 2017, a community center employee blocked Mr. Muhaymin from entering a public restroom with Chiquita and called the police. Instead of ensuring Mr. Muhaymin’s right to use the facilities, the responding officers arrested Mr. Muhaymin, literally mocked his Muslim faith and ultimately killed him by pinning him on the ground with a knee on his neck. As readers of this note must know, achieving accountability for a crime like this is an uphill battle and we are grateful for the many partners who assisted Mr. Muhaymin’s family.
Thanks to Muslim Advocates’ media support, we have been able to fulfill my clients’ wish to get the story of Mr. Muhaymin – their father, brother, son – covered by major news outlets here in Arizona and around the world—including The Associated Press [[link removed]] , The Guardian [[link removed]] and The Arizona Republic [[link removed]] . With the expert work of Muslim Advocates, we got the world’s attention when we released the police body camera footage [[link removed]] of Mr. Muhaymin’s arrest. In the footage, he can be heard pleading for his life saying, “I can’t breathe” followed by the prayer, “Please Allah.” In response, a Phoenix police officer can be heard saying, “Allah? He’s not going to help you right now.” Mr. Muhaymin died of asphyxiation while pinned down by the weight of several officers.
Over the course of our years-long fight for justice, state and local officials in Arizona, as well as the Phoenix Police Department, have refused to hold accountable any of the officers involved in the arrest and killing of Mr. Muhaymin. Thanks to Muslim Advocates’ intervention, the Muhaymin family was able to call on the Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., to investigate Mr. Muhaymin’s death. As part of this effort, Muslim Advocates sent the DOJ a heartfelt letter from Mr. Muhaymin’s youngest daughter. Soon after receiving the letter, the department announced an historic investigation [[link removed]] into “whether the Phoenix Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of violations of the Constitution or federal law.”
Because local officials refused to take any responsibility for the killing of Mr. Muhaymin, the Muhaymin family was forced to sue the City of Phoenix. In part, Mr. Muhaymin’s family wanted the world to witness Phoenix police officers face serious questions about how and why Mr. Muhaymin was killed. But at the very last minute, a federal judge took the extraordinary step of sealing the court proceedings away from the press and the public.
Muslim Advocates’ legal team stepped in and filed a motion to unseal these important records. Last November, a judge granted Muslim Advocates’ motion and unsealed the records [[link removed]] —allowing the public to observe for the first time what really happened to Muhammad Muhaymin Jr.
Since then, the Muhaymin family has reached a $5 million settlement from the City of Phoenix. My clients’ fight is not over, however, as the 10 officers involved in Mr. Muhaymin’s death have not been held accountable and are still on the streets. Muslim Advocates is part of the vital community still working to create safety for Phoenix residents and accountability for officers who abuse their power.
Because Muslim Advocates has done so much to help the Muhaymin family, I am asking you, this Ramadan, to help them. Whether you’re Muslim or not, or whether you celebrate the holy month of Ramadan or not, now is the time to support Muslim Advocates. Thank you for reading my note.
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Sincerely,
David Chami
Managing Partner, Price Law Group
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P.O. Box 34440
Washington, DC 20043 United States
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