2006 San Francisco SUV attacks

Omeed Aziz Popal is a Muslim native of Afghanistan. He is alleged to have intentionally struck 19 pedestrians with his black Honda Pilot SUV on August 30, 2006, and faces 18 counts of attempted murder. He was 29 at the time of the attack. Several major news organizations have described his attack in the San Francisco bay area as a "rampage."

The attack and the victims

The first person to be attacked, Stephen J. Wilson, 54, was struck in Fremont, California, and died at 11:50 am. As a result, Alameda County issued a murder warrant for Popal's arrest. Another victim was hospitalized in critical condition.

Popal struck two men at the intersection of Sutter and Steiner streets. He passed through the intersection again in an attempt to hit the men a second time—and then a third time—before moving on.

A witness said he saw one victim's body "thrown 25 feet." Multiple witnesses and victims said that the driver appeared to be aiming for people, intentionally hitting them.

Other victims included Vera Jenkins, 40, Pedro Aglugov, 70, and Leon Stevens, 56. One police officer was slightly injured when Popal was apprehended.

Popal remains in custody on charges of murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, battery of a police officer, and evading arrest. If convicted, he faces life in prison.

Controversy over police claim of "no terrorism"

The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Popal "was terrorizing the neighborhoods near the Western Addition and Pacific Heights," and KTVU reported that a witness heard Popal refer to himself as a terrorist.

Popal's rampage ended in front of the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, where the final two victims were struck.

However, within hours of Popal's arrest, police stated that there was no evidence of terrorism. It remains unclear how they came to that conclusion so rapidly, and upon what evidence that claim was based. It should be noted that it took months for the FBI to arrive at the conclusion that the attack made by Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, an Egytian Muslim, at the Los Angeles ticket counter of El Al on July 4, 2002, was a terrorist act.

Popal's attorney, Majeed Samara, has described his client as "mentally ill." However, he provided no details. In contrast to his lawyer's claims, one psychologist has said that "the mental disorder explanation is actually very weak," and that it fails to account for this specific crime, which is exceptionally rare in the U.S.

The media has noted the similarities between Popal and Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, a Muslim native of Iran, who intentionally struck nine pedestrians with his SUV on March 3, 2006, and was charged with nine counts of attempted murder. He was 22 at the time of the attack. In a written statement, Taheri-azar later explained his actions by saying, "Allah in the Koran gives permission for those who follow Allah to attack those who have waged war against them."

Reactions

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called Popal's actions "malicious and hateful." He commended authorities and offered his condolences to the victims and their families. He further said that "[a]cts of hate such as this will not be tolerated in California."