Below is an updated version of last week’s report.
The Case Western Reserve law student killed by a Hudson police officer Dec. 4 was shot five times, the Summit County Medical Examiner’s office reported yesterday.
The information came a day after Ohio authorities announced that Saif Nasser Mubarak Ali Alameri, 26, was unarmed at the time of the incident. A spokesperson for the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) told reporters that the only weapon found at the scene was Hudson Police Officer Ryan Doran’s gun.
Funeral services for Alameri were held Friday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of his home country, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). International media outlets noted that Alameri had a younger brother and two sisters. His father, Nasser Al Ameri, has told reporters there that he plans to come to the U.S. to learn more about the circumstances involving his son’s death.
“Saif was my rock, I relied on him for everything,” his father told the Al Arabiya news service. “He was a practicing Muslim and an amazing person.”
Also Friday, the UAE Ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, issued a statement noting that he had spoken to Ohio Gov. John Kasich and thanked him for state officials’ cooperation to date.
“I also emphasized the importance of a thorough, transparent and timely investigation into the tragic shooting death of Mr. Alameri,” the ambassador’s statement continued.
In addition, the UAE ambassador’s statement noted that representatives from the Abu Dhabi Police Department had come to Ohio to collaborate with an embassy team in representing Alameri’s family. The group met with state investigators, Hudson police, and the Summit County medical examiner, the statement continued.
Last week, the Summit County medical examiner said that Alameri had died of a gunshot to the head, and ruled the death a homicide. The state’s investigation of the matter is continuing, and is expected to last for several more weeks, if not months. BCI ultimately will turn over its findings to prosecutors in the Ohio attorney general’s office.
Alameri had come to Cleveland from the UAE this summer to earn a Master of Laws (LLM) degree, an internationally recognized academic credential. He had planned to return to his home country to practice law and eventually hoped to lead a large firm. His father told journalists last week that his son planned to enter national service after he graduated from Case Western Reserve.
On the afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 4, police said, Alameri was driving on the Ohio Turnpike when the vehicle he was driving flipped. Witnesses reported that Alameri had exited the car and headed away from the road. Later, Hudson police officer Ryan Doran found Alameri in a nearby wooded area. Police said last week that the two became involved in a struggle before the shooting.
Their encounter was recorded by a dash cam video that Hudson police released last week; in it, the officer crosses in front of his police car, draws his gun and yells, “Stop, I’ll shoot” before exiting the camera’s frame. The rest of the encounter, including several loud sounds that appear to be gunshots, can be heard but not seen.
Last Wednesday, Dec. 7, law school representatives met with LLM students in the morning while the university hosted a gathering for all students that afternoon in Tomlinson Hall. Case Western Reserve officials have extended condolences to Alameri’s family, and spoken with representatives from the UAE and the state of Ohio. Members of the law school community are meeting this week to discuss ways to honor Alameri, and also are collecting condolence notes from students to forward to Alameri’s family.
The university’s counseling services office continues to have walk-in appointments from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at its offices in Suite 220 of the Sears building; counselors also can be reached after hours at 216.368.5872.