COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, Mo. — Newly released video shows a Country Club Hills police officer pushing Mohammad Wishah to the ground.
In July 2018, Wishah, 58, said he was inside the Mally Supermarket on West Florissant. He said he got into a debate with a couple of police officers. He went to his car and then went back into the store. An officer met him at the door.
“He grabbed me from the back of the shirt like I'm a criminal and he threw me to the ground,” Wishah said.
Wishah’s attorney Jay Kanzler said his client did nothing wrong.
“There was no charge against Mr. Wishah. There was no ticket written,” Kanzler said.
On March 21, 2019, Wishah said he was a victim during an attempted robbery at the Mally laundromat, near the supermarket. That incident was also caught on camera.
Two men assaulted Wishah. He had a gun and shot one suspect, who was arrested. The other has not been arrested. Kanzler said his client has told the Country Club Hills Police Department who the suspect is, but that the department is not properly investigating the case.
“It would seem as though they're not giving it the old college try,” Kanzler said. “And ,if you put two and two together, it might be because Mr. Wishah has claimed they've assaulted him.”
Wishah and Kanzler are asking for a separate investigation. They want St. Louis County Police to take over the investigation of the attempted robbery at the laundromat. They also want St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell to take the case of alleged police assault.
“Present the evidence to the grand jury. Let the grand jury decide whether the Country Club Hills Police officers were wrong in assaulting Mr. Wishah,” Kanzler said.
5 On Your Side went to the Country Club Hills Police Department for comment and left messages. Nobody from the department has returned our request for comment.