Photo courtesy of Justice For Feras Facebook page.
A candlelight vigil will be held this Wednesday night for Woodland Hills resident Feras Morad, who was fatally shot by a Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officer last Wednesday.
The 20-year-old college student—who was planning on studying political science at California State University, Long Beach in the fall—was reportedly under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms when police said he threatened to attack an officer responding to a call for assistance on the 4600 block of East 15th Street at about 7:30PM on Wednesday, May 27.
According to authorities, Morad was acting erratically and was involved in an altercation with friends, which lasted about 10 minutes before he broke loose from their restraint and jumped through the glass of a second-story window.
Once on the scene, the LBPD reported that a responding officer noticed three male subjects in an alley, with Morad moving quickly toward the officer as he exited his patrol vehicle.
The officer said he noticed Morad had a large cut and was covered in blood. The officer then commanded him to stop walking so he could be given medical treatment, according to authorities.
Morad then began to advance more quickly toward the officer, who reportedly utilized verbal commands, an electronic control device, an impact weapon, and physical force to attempt to stop him, officials said.
Morad continued to advance toward the officer and allegedly told the officer he was going to attack him, prompting the officer to open fire, according to authorities.
Family and friends set up a Facebook and Twitter account under the name “Justice for Feras” over the weekend. The page questions police tactics and calls for the name of the officer who shot Morad.
Supporters have also created a HeadTalker campaign meant to spread awareness on the issue.
“We are hoping to shed more and more light on this issue that is unfortunately so common nowadays in order to make a big change and really advocate the wrongness of police brutality,” according to the campaign page.
The Post has requested information concerning the officer’s identity and record of service, and is awaiting a response from the police department.
On the Facebook page, posts by friends of Morad who were at the scene stated that he walked aimlessly in the alley, shirtless, and could not comprehend the officer’s commands. They said they alerted the officer that he was unarmed and in need of medical attention.
Witnesses said the officer fired three shots at Morad, who was transported to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
This is the fourth officer-involved shooting of the year in Long Beach, and the second to end fatally.
According to a report from the Washington Post, about half the officer-involved shootings which have occurred nationally in the first five months of 2015—of which there have been close to 400—happened after family members, neighbors or strangers called the police for help because someone was, for example, suicidal, behaving erratically or threatening violence.
According to Morad’s sister Ghada Morad, the family was not notified of his death until Friday, when she contacted his friends.
Morad graduated from El Camino Real Charter School in Woodland Hills in 2013 and competed in debate while studying at Moorpark College. He hoped to become a lawyer, according the Facebook page.
A GoFundMe page has also been created to help cover funeral expenses. Nearly $9,000 of more than $33,000 requested has been raised since Monday at 12:30PM.
The vigil will be held at 8:00PM on Wednesday, June 3 at Warner Center Park, 5800 Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Woodland Hills.
This article was updated on Monday, June 1 at 4:45PM with information on the HeadTalker campaign.