Jewish man fatally hit on head during dueling protests sparked by Israel-Hamas war

LOS ANGELES -- A 69-year-old Jewish man died Monday after suffering a head injury at a Thousand Oaks protest centered on the Israel-Hamas war, according to law enforcement.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy determined Paul Kessler died as a result of a blunt force head injury and called the manner of death a homicide.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said the incident was reported just after 3:20 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard, near the L.A. County border. Opposing protesters — pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian — had taken a stand on either side of the intersection when an altercation occurred, authorities said.

Kessler, of Thousand Oaks, was struck in the head, knocked backward and hit his head on the ground, deputies said.

Paramedics responded to a “fight in progress” and found the victim suffering a head injury, according to Andy VanSciver, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. Kessler was transported to a local hospital, where he died Monday.

No arrests had been made as of Monday night, and the investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with details for authorities can contact Det. Corey Stump at (805) 384-4745.

Officials did not release further details about how Kessler was struck or whether there were any suspects in the case. The agency said it had not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.

A video of the aftermath shared on social media showed Kessler lying on his back on the corner of the intersection with blood dripping from his head.

Rabbi Michael Barclay, who leads Temple Ner Simcha, 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 away 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.”

He added that he had been in touch with both Ventura County Sheriff James 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.”

Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell, whose district covers the location where the incident took place, said he’d been briefed by the Ventura County 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.”

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said a news conference on the incident was scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday.