Mohamed A. Salim, 39, served this country in Iraq in intelligence and as a linguist. He served at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. Yet, he allegedly still suffered a beating and a broken jaw in his own country because of his Somali ethnicity and religion. Salim is a cab driver who picked up Emerald Aviation President Ed Dahlberg at the Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia. Dahlberg proceeded to accuse him of being a jihadist and allegedly attacked him. Emerald Aviation’s website is down for “scheduled maintenance” in the aftermath of Dahlberg’s arrest.
According to Salim, he picked up Dahlberg around 2 am but Dahlberg insisted that he wait while he finished his beer. Salim recorded what transpired on his cell phone. Dahlberg demanded that Salim define “jihad” and accusing him of being one of the “radical fucking Muslims blowing people up all over the world.” He demands that Salim “Denounce those motherfuckers now!” while adding “If you’re a fucking Muslim flying jets into the fucking World Trade Center then fuck you. I will slice your fucking throat right now.” On the tape, Salim is heard asking “Why are you punching me? Sir, why are you punching me?” The passenger replies: “You’re a [expletive] Muslim.”
Dahlberg is accused of trying to grab the cell phone and then leaving — only to return to break Salim’s jaw and then running into the forest.
What is astonishing is that Dahlberg is only charged with misdemeanor assault while police determine if charges should be elevated to a felony hate crime. Many civil libertarians are leery of hate crime charges. However, I fail to see why such a serious assault would need the hate crime element to be elevated to a felony. However, here is the provision:
18.2-57. Assault and battery.
A. Any person who commits a simple assault or assault and battery shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, and if the person intentionally selects the person against whom a simple assault is committed because of his race,religious conviction, color or national origin, the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
B. However, if a person intentionally selects the person against whom an assault and battery resulting in bodily injury is committed because of his race, religious conviction, color or national origin, the person shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony, and the penalty upon conviction shall include a term of confinement of at least six months, 30 days of which shall be a mandatory minimum term of confinement.
Dahlberg’s attorney, Demetry Pikrallidas, insists that there was no assault. Of course, even if this is accepted in court, there remains the appearance of this corporate president as an unhinged bigot. Then there is the added likelihood of a tort lawsuit for assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. There might also be potential liability for the country club depending on its reaction to the incident as it was unfolding.
Source: Washington Post
Here’s the HUGE problems w/ laws “preventing” felons from possessing a gun. THEY DO ANYWAY. It’s the same w/ drunk drivers having their DL taken away. THEY STILL DRIVE. They say f@ck the law in numbers that would astound most people here. We need the laws, but they are horribly ineffective in matters such as this. The laws make people feel good. Just like the mandatory minimum crack laws instituted in the 80’s. Most everyone felt very proud and happy, not realizing those laws were a travesty and boondoggle, in that order.
raff & Malisha,
If he is convicted on a felony, he will not be able to buy or possess anything with more firepower than a slingshot. We can only hope.
Rafflaw: In Virginia? He can buy guns every Monday and Thursday if his name starts with a LETTER.
I sure hope this idiot does not own a gun or is allowed to buy a weapon.
“I have a vision of tiny white Swedish-American ex-wife, now female cab driver, with a stuck throttle, smearing Dahlberg and those defending him all over the Courthouse parking lot,”
~+~
Proving once again that justice is best not left to the mobs.
At the risk of venturing into metaphysics I can’t help but wonder what could possibly account for this kind of treatment of the defendant.
If this just an example of well known southern racism once again raising its ugly head?
Or is this class-ism based on the idea that a rich man exiting his country club could never commit a serious crime against a social inferior?
BTW, some of you may not know that Fairfax is a very affluent and liberal voting bed room district of the nations capital located in northern Virginia.
I can’t help but wonder what the charge would have been if the assailants were young African American males who broke the jaw of a rich white man – all while shouting racial epithets.
Pardon me if I seem to doubt that justice is color blind.
I have a vision of tiny white Swedish-American ex-wife, now female cab driver, with a stuck throttle, smearing Dahlberg and those defending him all over the Courthouse parking lot, quickly downing a fifth of booze….and not only getting off but profiting from a book and movie and living a Celebrity Life happily ever after. Only in America*!* Mr. Cochrane, where are you now when we need you……..;- )
Assaulting a person and causing a fractured jaw is not a felony in VA? Unbelievable. I don’t see how much more apparent this is would fit the definition of a hate crime in most jurisdictions given everything the defendant said to the victim.
I would think any civil action taken by the victim against the defendant would be a slam dunk case.
If the events are what was stated in the article, the state should have levyed every possible charge for which there was probable cause on him. He certainly deserved it.
He breaks someone’s jaw and he gets charged with a misdemeanor and someone asks “WHY”? Here’s the answer: Fairfax USA.
Sue his damn ass off. In Florida if you allegedly break somebody’s nose (causing the shedding of a thimblefull of blood) you get “legitimately” killed in self-defense and the poor shooter gets to cry “thug thug thug” until the cows come home (and deposit a cow pie upon the shooter, I hope). In Fairfax, USA, if you’re criminally aggressive and drunk and rich and connected you beat somebody up and then go see “the judge” over at that nightclub the judge co-owns as silent partner with the prosecutor’s wife.
You know the one. Where all the street drugs in DC stop on their way in from Virginia Beach.
All of it. The guy wouldn’t be breaking jaws if he didn’t know he could get away with it in Fairfax.
Little ap,
Thanks for the link….. That’s some crazy stuff I read….
You know Mike…. If someone beat you because they didn’t like you that’s one thing….. But if someone beats you because you are Jewish and just because your Jewish don’t you think that’s in essence a hate crime….. This person got beat because he was Muslim….. Not because he was black……that may have added to the beating….. I am usually against Status Crimes like this being charged….. But this MF crossed the line in my book or morality when he left and came back….. If all in one transaction or occurrence…. I’d say… Ok, charge him with Felony A&B…. But come on…. To be beat because of status is BS…. And you know it….
What about a story about the attack on black men by the Connecticut incarceration system???
________________________________
From the FairfaxStation Patch, with comments:
“Dahlberg Attorney Releases Statement on Alleged Taxi Cab Assault”
http://fairfaxstation.patch.com/articles/dahlberg-attorney-releases-statement-on-alleged-taxi-cab-assault
BK,
randyjet is correct; however, Dahlberg is a commercial pilot. That only requires a 2nd Class medical certificate. One does not need an Air Transport Pilot (ATP) rating to carry passengers or fly for hire. The ATP requires a 1st Class medical certificate. The ATP is considered the equivalent of having a PhD in piloting. It is only required for the Pilot-in-Command of a scheduled airline flight under CFR 14 part 121. A pilot holding the ATP certificate may use it as a suffix after their name if they wish; eg, Joe Jones, ATP.
However, when there has been a crime of violence, especially if it involved alcohol, the guy may be in danger of losing his medical certificate altogether. At the very minimum, he should expect to be suspended until he gets a full medical and psychological exam, and probably be subjected to an administrative hearing.
I have some questions regarding the concept of hate crime. But if you allow the concept, this is about a pure an example as you are likely to find.
How ever we categorize the crime, it cries out for severe punishment. If a thug can get away with beating someone and breaking their jaw simply because of how they look, then how can any of us be safe.
I would argue that pleading down is out of the question. The offender left the scene, apparently gave the situation more though and returned. The broken jaw is a severe injury. Considering the force necessary to break a jaw it is only by luck we are not prosecuting a murder.
This crime cannot be ignored.
“If …. He can kiss off ever getting an ATP license.” – randyjet
That would be a relief. I prefer more sober and cool heads in the cockpit.
OS, En vino veritas, a phrase I use often. I agree, alcohol often activates one’s dark side. We ALL have a dark side. Many people can drink and be happy. Some drink and become nasty and hateful. Alcohol can be a positve and a negative. For those for whom alcohol is a negative, this ugliness occurs. Unfortunately, too many people of this ilk don’t realize they can’t handle the disinhibitor effect. We all know some of these folks, and their ugliness knows no racial, ethnic, sexual, etc. parameters.
The Council on American Islamic Relations is pushing for a felony hate crime charge.
Gene and AY,
Both of you have good points.
I think this notion of “hate crime” is like affirmative action in the sense that it can be appleid for a limited time and be a viable remedy.
If a hate crime charge would educate some very propaganda damaged people, without adding to the time the dood is going to get anyway, it might serve as an educational tool.
Like some states are still fingered under the voting rights act but others are not … because of the relevant behaviors.
When the point is made by a few months or years of hate crime charges for this type of prapaganda induced aberrant behavior, and the behavior changes for the better, let that law fade into history.
Just sayin’ …
Nick,
Alcohol is a known disinhibitor. In other words, alcohol loosens the tongue and lets stuff out the person would probably self censor were they sober. How one acts after having a snootful is usually the real person when the facade is stripped away.