Justice for Asif Ajmal

District Attorney James P. Willet
San Joaquin County District Attorney
222 Weber Ave, Room 202
Stockton, CA 95202

On April 27, 2009, Asif Khan Ajmal, 25, picked up his pregnant wife and drove to the Bank of the West on 4932 N. Pacific Avenue, where he maintained an account. He entered the bank while his wife waited in the car. What happened inside of the bank is unclear. However, we do know that on his way out of the building, he was shot and killed by Jose Zuniga, an armed security guard employed by Garda Global. Mr. Ajmal was unarmed at the time he was shot and was not carrying anything that could have been mistaken as a weapon.

In the hours shortly after the incident, Stockton Police Department spokesman Pete Smith informed the media that Mr. Ajmal was shot while carrying out a holdup. Despite this speculation on the day of the incident, Mr. Smith told CBS 13 news a few days later that it would be inappropriate to speculate that Mr. Ajmal may have been an innocent victim. Since the initial declaration that Mr. Ajmal was committing a bank robbery, little information has been released as to what actually happened in the bank that day. In particular, there has been almost no information released as to the interaction between Mr. Zuniga and Mr. Ajmal.

It appears as if the police spokesman jumped to and published a conclusion that was not based on a thorough investigation. As concerned citizens of San Joaquin County, we are urging to you to investigate and monitor the circumstances surrounding the shooting, as well as the investigation of the shooting. In particular, we ask that you not only rely on the police investigation, but that you consider all available evidence, including, but not limited to, audio and video tapes, witness accounts and bank records. We also ask that you make a determination on the following two issues:

1. Was Asif Ajmal in the process of committing a bank robbery when this shooting happened? Mr. Ajmal has been posthumously branded as an attempted bank robber in the media and in the minds of many residents of Northern California. Should you find that he was not attempting a robbery when he was shot, we request a news release by your office proclaiming Mr. Ajmal factually innocent.

2. Was Jose Zunigas use of deadly force against an unarmed man appropriate given the circumstances? If his use of force was not appropriate, we ask that the proper charges be filed.

As the elected District Attorney of San Joaquin County, we are sure that you understand that your job is to seek justice. As concerned citizens of San Joaquin County, we eagerly await the results of your investigation and evaluation.

Sincerely,
Concerned Citizens of San Joaquin County