San Francisco Hit and Run Rampage by Afghan Man

Fremont, in the Bay Area, is home to a sizeable Afghan population. There are some great Afghan restaurants and grocery stores, not to mention the ubiquitious non-Afghan desi eateries and cinema theaters. We lived there in the tense months after 9/11, and while nothing serious happened, I remember one day seeing a host of police cars surrounding an Afghan-owned travel agent. It turned out that a jilted young man had walked into his putative father-in-law's business and shot the gentleman, an upstanding member of the community.

The Afghans can be hot-blooded people, and often, anger translates into senseless actions. It is too soon to tell what the reasons were behind a mad rampage through San Francisco by Omeed Aziz Popal, 29, who had just got married in Afghanistan, but the resulting trail of destruction left 14 people hospitalized, and may be related to the death of a Fremont pedestrian an hour earlier. The driver drove up and down the streets, Photobucket - Video and Image Hostingknocking people off sidewalks and crosswalks, sometimes going the wrong way. He was driving a black 2004 Honda Pilot. Eyewitnesses described it was like watching Death Race 2000, or a video game in action.

The police finally stopped the rampage outside a Walgreens near California Street by slamming into the SUV with their squad cars. An eyewitness termed the driver calm, "like a zombie". Family members said he had mental problems and "lived in fear of the devil". Some felt his recent arranged marriage might have stressed him out. Police said Popal told them he had done it intentionally, "because he just wanted to".

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Article Author: Aaman Lamba

Aaman Lamba is a Blogcritics editor, as well as the Publisher of Desicritics.org, a Blogcritics network site covering media, politics, culture, sports and more with a global South Asian focus

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  • 1 - Myra

    Sep 05, 2006 at 3:04 am

    Your making a hasty generalization by saying that Afghans can be hot-blooded. This is one man doing this not an occurring problem with Afghans in Fremont.

  • 2 - Gurjant

    Oct 13, 2006 at 7:13 am

    Myra- this guy is shallow bastard, he doesnt reaaly understand wtf he is saying , just because theres a computer in front of em he thinks he is a frekin journalist

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