Mohammed Nizamuddin, a 32-year-old Indian techie, was shot dead by police in Santa Clara, California, on September 3, following an incident that reportedly escalated from a domestic quarrel with his roommates into a knife attack. According to the Santa Clara Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call regarding a stabbing and encountered Nizamuddin armed with a knife, which led to the police opening fire.
In the days leading to his death, Nizamuddin publicly alleged workplace racial harassment. In a LinkedIn post, he described himself as a victim of “racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage fraud, wrongful termination, and obstruction of justice.” He accused “colleagues, employer, client, detective, and their community altogether” of engaging in these acts against him.
Nizamuddin asserted that he had suffered significant hostility and discrimination, stating, “I was not paid fairly, not in accordance with DOL wage-levels,” indicating dissatisfaction with his salary and alleging wrongful termination by his employer. He claimed that harassment continued post-termination with further intimidation facilitated by a detective and an associated team.
He expressed his intent to raise awareness about what he described as a hostile environment and called for action against what he termed “white supremacy” and corporate oppression. “Today I decided to raise my voice against all odds. Enough is enough,” he wrote, further asserting that the ongoing issues could affect anyone in the future.
Following the fatal encounter with police, Nizamuddin’s family, residing in Mahabubnagar, India, has claimed that the police response was hasty and has sought assistance from authorities to repatriate his body.
