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OAKLAND (KRON) -- The Nation of Islam says its members were not involved in a pair of vandalism attacks on Oakland liquor stores that were captured on surveillance video.
In a phone call to KRON 4 News, a spokesman for the group associated with Minister Louis Farrakhan, said the Nation of Islam had reviewed the security tape and cleared its members of any wrongdoing.
The owner of one of the two vandalized stores in West Oakland says he believes members of the Muslim group attacked his store because of their belief that followers of Islam shouldn't sell alcohol.
Khalid Saleh was working in his father's San Pablo Market and Liquor when a group of men dressed in suits and bow ties destroyed about $10,000 worth of liquor and refrigerated equipment, according to authorities.
The video shows a group of men sweeping dozens of liquor bottles off shelves, knocking over racks of food and smashing refrigerator doors with what appeared to be metal pipes.
"He told me, 'Don't move,' " Saleh told KRON 4's Will Tran. "He had a pistol in his hand. He said, 'we're Muslims,' and that we're selling liquor to the community and we're not supposed to be doing that."
The owners of the nearby New York Market didn't want to talk on camera about the damage to their store. Witnesses say it appears similarly dressed men also ransacked that market.
Saleh's father says he would consider hiring security but that a lone guard would be no match for a group of adult men.
Police have reportedly added extra patrols in the area to try to protect the stores, most of which are located in predominantly black neighborhoods, said Deputy Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan.
Investigators are also reportedly looking into the incidents as hate crimes because most of the businesses are owned by Arabs or Arab-Americans, and the suspects are telling them not to sell liquor to black people, Jordan said.
Video
OAKLAND (KRON) -- The Nation of Islam says its members were not involved in a pair of vandalism attacks on Oakland liquor stores that were captured on surveillance video.
In a phone call to KRON 4 News, a spokesman for the group associated with Minister Louis Farrakhan, said the Nation of Islam had reviewed the security tape and cleared its members of any wrongdoing.
The owner of one of the two vandalized stores in West Oakland says he believes members of the Muslim group attacked his store because of their belief that followers of Islam shouldn't sell alcohol.
Khalid Saleh was working in his father's San Pablo Market and Liquor when a group of men dressed in suits and bow ties destroyed about $10,000 worth of liquor and refrigerated equipment, according to authorities.
The video shows a group of men sweeping dozens of liquor bottles off shelves, knocking over racks of food and smashing refrigerator doors with what appeared to be metal pipes.
"He told me, 'Don't move,' " Saleh told KRON 4's Will Tran. "He had a pistol in his hand. He said, 'we're Muslims,' and that we're selling liquor to the community and we're not supposed to be doing that."
The owners of the nearby New York Market didn't want to talk on camera about the damage to their store. Witnesses say it appears similarly dressed men also ransacked that market.
Saleh's father says he would consider hiring security but that a lone guard would be no match for a group of adult men.
Police have reportedly added extra patrols in the area to try to protect the stores, most of which are located in predominantly black neighborhoods, said Deputy Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan.
Investigators are also reportedly looking into the incidents as hate crimes because most of the businesses are owned by Arabs or Arab-Americans, and the suspects are telling them not to sell liquor to black people, Jordan said.
Video
Comments
yep... less alcohol.
Oakland need s a lot of things, and yes less liquor stores but man more violence in Oakland
yep... I have not been to California since 1986.
Oakland is a huge city and not all of Oakland is bad, but I'd say the majority of oakland needs a lot of work. yes Oakland has a lot of Liquor stores. There's practically a liquor store on every corner but the city grants business licenses. Teh city is part to blame. Take that to the city. Who knows what exactly went down, but the Muslims in Oakland are nice people. At least to me and I'm half Mexican. So there had to be some tension build up somewhere a long the lines in that neighborhood. Had to be. But still any negative publicity towards teh nation or any Muslims, especially in these times is not a good thing. Take it your fight to the city.
This is some bullshit. Are they jumping the neighborhood drug dealers, too? We all know the problem is bigger than the liquor stores and the dudes on the corner. For the most part the little guys are struggling just as much as the next man.
Herm