‘Conflicting statements’ complicate investigation into Jewish man’s death at protest
A 69-year-old Jewish man died Monday after suffering a head injury at a Thousand Oaks protest over the Israel-Hamas war, according to law enforcement officials.
Paul Kessler, who was part of a pro-Israel group protesting opposite a Free Palestine rally Sunday, died hours after he fell backward and hit his head on the ground during a confrontation between the two groups.
While investigators have identified a suspect in the incident, no arrests have been made, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said at a news conference Tuesday. Witnesses from both sides of the protests have shared “conflicting statements” about what led to Kessler’s fall and who the aggressor was, Fryhoff said, noting that the investigation is ongoing.
“What exactly transpired prior to Mr. Kessler falling backwards isn’t crystal clear right now,” Fryhoff said. “We’re working tirelessly to gather all the facts and evidence related to this incident. We will do everything in our power, using every resource we have at our disposal, to make sense of the incident, and if criminal wrongdoing is discovered, to bring the person or persons responsible to justice.”
An autopsy determined Kessler died as a result of a blunt force head injury and ruled the manner of death a homicide, according to Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner Christopher Young. However, Young said the manner of death doesn’t necessarily point to criminal intent, only that the “death occurred at the hands of another person or the actions of another person contributed to the death of a person.” Medical determinations of homicide can be legally ruled self-defense or justified.
Young said Kessler suffered a fatal injury to the back of his head that was “consistent with and typical of injuries sustained from a fall.” Kessler had “nonlethal injuries” on the left side of his face, which Young said could have been caused by a blow to the face.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was reported just after 3:20 p.m. Sunday at Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, near the Los Angeles County border. About 75 people had gathered in the opposing protests — pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian — on either side of the intersection when an altercation occurred, authorities said.
Kessler, of Thousand Oaks, fell backward and struck his head on the ground, deputies said. When authorities arrived, Kessler was conscious and bleeding from his head and mouth, Fryhoff said. Kessler remained conscious at the hospital, but his condition deteriorated and he was pronounced dead just after 1 a.m. Monday, Young said.
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Fryhoff said his deputies are investigating the case as a homicide and have not determined whether it will be treated as a hate crime.
The suspect, who was identified only as a 50-year-old man from Moorpark, cooperated with deputies, telling officials that he was “involved in an altercation with Mr. Kessler,” Fryhoff said. The suspect was among those who called 911 after Kessler fell, the sheriff said.
Deputies on Monday briefly detained the suspect after a traffic stop in Simi Valley while investigators executed a search warrant at his home. He was later released, Fryhoff said.
The sheriff said surveillance video from a Shell gas station adjacent to where the confrontation occurred did not capture a clear view of the incident. Authorities are asking for the public to submit any video or images from that day.
Fryhoff asked anyone with information to contact Det. Corey Stump at (805) 384-4745 or call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 to remain anonymous.
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Sheriff’s Capt. Dean Worthy said that because no arrests have been made, it would be irresponsible to identify the suspect by name or place of residence.
“We understand that many in the community have made certain observations, and have therefore drawn conclusions,” Worthy said. “However, this case is highly active and ongoing, and we need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, despite what is being posted on social media platforms.”
A neighbor across the street from what is believed to be the suspect’s home said a police car sat outside her house all day Monday. The woman, who declined to give her name, said police went into the house across the street around 7 p.m. and stayed for an hour, taking items with them when they left.
At Kessler’s home in Thousand Oaks, most neighbors had lowered their blinds and declined to comment. Two who did answer their doors said that they knew of what had happened to Kessler but that they didn’t know him personally.
A video of the aftermath of the incident shared on social media showed Kessler lying on his back with blood dripping from his head.
Bri Oard, a freelance journalist, was driving past the rally when she noticed ambulances and firefighters at the scene, she said.
“I was praying in my head, hoping no violence happened,” she said.
While she did not see Kessler accosted or fall to the ground, she said she saw paramedics loading a man onto an ambulance. She also saw two law enforcement officers pull a man attending the pro-Palestinian rally to the side and sit him on the curb as they asked him questions, she said.
The rallies have been taking place every Sunday, Oard said, but this was the first time there was any violence, as far as she knew.
Oard said she did not even realize she had witnessed a major news incident until she got home later. She saw posts on social media about Kessler’s death and realized they had photos of the gas station where she had seen the man loaded into the ambulance.
“It’s just so awful,” she said.
Fryhoff said his deputies are committed to providing safety and protecting the rights of all residents, regardless of faith or identity.
“The war in Israel and Gaza has led to an increase in hateful and threatening rhetoric, and we want to assure the Muslim and Jewish communities that we stand with them both during this difficult time,” Fryhoff said. He said the agency has increased patrols outside houses of worship and community centers.
L.A. residents have helped raise more than $100,000 for the Kfar Aza kibbutz in Israel, after the attack killed around 60 people.
Rabbi Michael Barclay, who leads Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village, said Kessler and his wife, Cheryl, had attended High Holiday services at his synagogue, though they had not visited in several years. The synagogue is less than a mile from where the protests were held.
Barclay said he did not know Kessler well but had exchanged email correspondence with him over the years and called him “a man committed to peace and committed to Israel.”
Kessler also was a frequent writer of letters to the editor of the Thousand Oaks Acorn, according to a former editor at the newspaper, Kyle Jorrey.
“He was passionate about political issues (liberal causes) and wasn’t afraid to let people know how he felt,” Jorrey said in a statement to The Times. “Doesn’t surprise me at all that he was out there as a counter-protester, even at his age. He attended many demonstrations related to progressive causes.”
He said Kessler wrote to the paper “consistently for 20 years” about a variety of liberal issues, including climate change, the COVID-19 vaccine and fake news.
Jorrey said on X, formerly Twitter, that he had talked with Kessler frequently on the phone about his submissions, many of which were published.
“An ardent Democrat, Kessler had a sharp wit and loved a good takedown,” Jorrey wrote.
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Barclay, the rabbi, said that he had been in touch with Fryhoff and Thousand Oaks Police Chief Jeremy Paris about the criminal investigation. He emphasized the need to allow law enforcement to do its due diligence and cautioned against sharing unconfirmed information.
“We need to let them do what they need to do,” Barclay said. “We cannot let our emotions dictate our actions, or justice isn’t going to happen.”
Jonathan Oswaks said in a interview Tuesday that he was at Sunday’s protest alongside Kessler, a new friend.
Oswaks, 69, said he met Kessler through the website Nextdoor a few weeks ago when he sent a post urging people to mount counter-protests in support of Israel.
Kessler responded, and the two met two weekends ago at a pro-Palestinian rally in Thousand Oaks. A week later, on Sunday, they returned with Israeli and “Don’t Tread on Me” flags. They arrived early and waited at a restaurant.
As the demonstrations got underway, Oswaks said, one protester came behind him with a megaphone and screamed close to his ear.
“I turned around, and I said, ‘Get that f— thing out of my ear. Back up.’ ” In response, the protester offered him water, Oswaks said.
He said he later saw the same protester hit someone with his megaphone on the opposite corner, where Kessler had been carrying his Israeli flag. Oswaks said he didn’t know at the time the victim was Kessler, or how badly he had been hurt.
“I was broken when I heard,” he said.
Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell, whose district covers the location where the incident took place, said he’d been briefed by the Sheriff’s Office.
“I’m heartbroken to hear of the tragic death of an elderly man today after having been struck at a protest in my district,” Gorell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kessler’s death has sparked mourning and alarm in Southern California’s Jewish community, with some leaders and public officials expressing outrage.
“We demand safety. We will not tolerate violence against our community. We will do everything in our power to prevent it,” the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles said in a statement.
The Anti-Defamation League called on law enforcement “to launch a thorough investigation to determine who is responsible.”
The Council on American–Islamic Relations released a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by this tragic and shocking loss. We join local Jewish leaders in calling on all individuals to refrain from jumping to conclusions, sensationalizing such a tragedy for political gains, or spreading rumors that could unnecessarily escalate tensions that are already at an all-time high.”
Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday issued a statement mourning Kessler’s death.
“As details emerge and are confirmed, we stand resolute in condemnation of violence and antisemitism,” Bass said. “This death is a blow to our region at a time when tensions continue to rise worldwide. We must redouble our efforts to ensure violence and hate are met with accountability and consequences. Los Angeles refuses to harbor this hatred.”
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