Fund-Raiser for Accused Slayer : Muhammad Ali Turns Up in Sagon Penn’s Corner

Muhammad Ali breezed into La Jolla for Sunday brunch.

He played “Chopsticks” on Simon Casady’s piano. He shook a lot of hands and ate a little ice cream. Then he slipped away before a raft of reporters arrived for an event at which Ali had been billed as the main attraction.

The event was a fund-raiser for Sagon Penn, the 23-year-old San Diego man accused of killing one San Diego police officer and trying to kill another in a scuffle in late March.

It was held at the roomy home of Casady, a one-time San Diego mayoral candidate, and his wife, in the hills above La Jolla.

Guests were invited to meet the former world boxing champion and to learn about Penn’s case. In return, they were also invited to contribute $100 to Penn’s defense.

At times, it seemed reporters outnumbered guests--combing Casady’s airy living room for comments about the case and grilling guests for impressions of Ali.

Penn family members also abounded. Father, mother, grandfather and aunt talked quietly with friends. Neatly dressed younger brothers and sisters sat around a white dining room table, warily eyeing plates of cheese.

In the end, no one seemed to know how much money had been collected. Casady remarked that there were enough tortilla chips left for a month of fund-raisers.

But the organizers pronounced the event a success.

“I think it gives us a visibility that we may not be able to get in Southeast San Diego,” said Leonard Knight, a friend of the Penn family through the Muslim church. “We want to get this away from a black issue. It’s a human issue.”

Sagon Penn, who is 23, was charged with slaying one San Diego police officer and attempting to kill another officer and a civilian ride-along during a scuffle on a city street on March 31.

The police have said they approached Penn’s pickup truck after he failed to signal a turn. They say they asked to see his license, Penn became abusive and the fight broke out.

But Penn’s family and some witnesses say the police were abusive. They say the officers began to beat up Penn, he grabbed one of their guns, and finally fired in self-defense.

A Penn defense committee has been raising money for legal fees through rallies and other events intended to consolidate support and encourage unity within the black community.

But Sunday, organizers said Ali’s visit would be the first of a series of celebrity appearances aimed at interesting a broader audience in Penn’s case.

“Muhammad Ali’s face is one of the best known in the world,” said Penn’s aunt, Ameerah Abdullah. “If you can bring someone like that to support the case, you can draw other people. Sometimes it’s not enough just to be innocent. You have to have finances to prove it.”

The fund-raiser began Sunday morning with a private brunch at the La Jolla Broiler. Later, it adjourned to the home of Casady, who said he had been asked to provide his house after the original La Jolla host went out of town.

“I have a very strong feeling that Sagon Penn is getting a bum rap,” said Casady, a 76-year-old former newspaper owner who said he agreed to help out with the fund-raiser because he is curious about the case.

“I don’t think it’s entirely the fault of the police--or, I do think it’s entirely their fault but I understand why sometimes the police act as they do,” Casady said. “I hope that Sagon Penn will get a full and fair trial, provided by adequate legal representation.”

Ali had been invited by a friend of the Penns at the Muslim “masjid” where they worship. But the Penns said they had known Ali for years, through fund-raising events and because Sagon’s uncle Felix had worked at Ali’s training camp.

Ali arrived by limousine, accompanied by a small entourage and his son, Muhammad. He complimented the brunch, played with the children and played the piano. Later, he went out back and admired a trailer parked in the driveway.

Shortly after noon, he left for another event in Los Angeles. But he said he would be back Sunday evening for another Penn fund-raiser at the Radisson Hotel--and he returned.

Some guests came to find answers to questions about Penn’s case. A few confessed they came to meet Ali. Several organizers said the event and others might encourage leadership and a desire to change the status quo--a positive side-effect of a negative event.

One guest from La Jolla said she had come because she was interested in police behavior, in part because she recalled dealing with the San Diego police over a stolen handbag.

“I know the type of mentality a lot of them have, so I can see a situation like this escalating,” she said. “I just have a feeling that (Penn’s) actions were justified.”

Her husband described himself as politically moderate, but more aware of a need for change than others in La Jolla. He suggested the status quo could use some changing, and San Diego might be a good place to start.

Allen Holmes, who described himself as a friend of Penn’s family and a San Diego sanitation employee, had tugged up his sleeve and showed Ali his gold Elvis bracelet.

“I guess one of my most important goals in life was to be able to shake Elvis Presley’s hand,” said Holmes, who has done Elvis impersonations at fairs and swap meets but never met the man. “Knowing that Muhammad Ali was close to Elvis, kind of a chill went over me. I would like to talk to him some more about it.”

Thomas Penn, Sagon’s father, sat by quietly on a couch. For the most part, he said he had just been watching. But occasionally, people would stop by and ask how he felt.

“There’s nothing to be angry about. It just happened. It’s unfortunate it’s my kid,” he said. “The way I feel, if the truth will come out, my son will walk.”