'I was pissed': Florida student explains to cops why he threatened to shoot Jewish peers: EXCLUSIVE BODYCAM
Body camera video obtained by Campus Reform shows a University of Central Florida student telling police that he threatened members of a pro-Israel group on campus.
Body camera video obtained by Campus Reform shows a University of Central Florida student telling police that he threatened members of a pro-Israel group on campus.
Seif Asi (pictured), 21, was arrested on Jan. 23 at the University of Central Florida’s John T. Washington Center after threatening members of the school’s Students Supporting Israel chapter, which held a demonstration featuring Israeli flags.
”Because they were killing my people, I was like, ‘Oh, I would rather kill you guys,’” Asi told the police officer when asked what he said to the pro-Israel students.
”I mean the last three weeks I come on. I see it every day,” Asi said, referring to the pro-Israel demonstrations.
”I have my own family over there that actually gets killed,” Asi said. “ It’s insulting for them to support the other side.”
Asi allegedly told police that he saw a group of students setting up the pro-Israel demonstration organized by Students Supporting Israel, which made him upset, police wrote in an arrest affidavit, as Campus Reform previously reported.
Asi proceeded to go the gym, but “he was so upset about it he decided to go back and confront the group after his workout,” the affidavit stated.
”You won’t be here anymore when I come back and shoot you,” Asi said, according to the three students helping set up the pro-Israel demonstration.
According to an arrest affidavit, Asi allegedly accused the students of “supporting a genocide, the deaths of Palestinians, and the death of his family members in Palestine.”
Individuals with Students Supporting Israel placed small Israeli flags in the ground to honor Jewish lives lost during the war with Hamas, police said.
Police confirmed in the affidavit that Asi didn’t own a firearm and one wasn’t in his possession.
Asi apologized for making the threat and knew it wasn’t right, police said.
”(Asi) said his emotions got the better of him and he requested to go and apologize to the students he threatened,” the affidavit stated. “(Asi) said he is tired of seeing students on campus defending the killing of Palestinian people.”
Police arrested Asi after the three students asked for him to be prosecuted and said that he “willfully and maliciously intimidated (people) based on their religion and ethnicity” and “made a credible threat to victims that were intentionally selected because of the perpetrator’s bias against the victims.”
In a statement to Campus Reform, SSI at UCF President Alex Rosenblum said the incident won’t discourage the organization’s pro-Israel advocacy.
“Last Tuesday, we set up 1,400 Israeli flags in the shape of one huge Israeli flag to memorialize the 1,400 people killed on October 7. A student walked up and started to argue with me. I told him that I’m happy to have a peaceful talk but if he intends to argue, I ask that he keeps on walking. He kept going on about how israel is committing genocide and whatnot and I asked him to just keep walking. He said something along the lines of “this won’t all be here when I come back and shoot you” and a student with us ran and got the cops, he was arrested, and now we’re here. SSI at UCF, although a little rattled, will not stop. We have a clear cut goal on our campus and that is to be a strong pro-Israel voice, during easy and hard times,” Rosenblum said.
UCF Chief of Police Carl Metzger said threats like this aren’t acceptable.
”At UCF, we all have the right to free expression — but violence, threats of violence, and unlawful harassment will not be tolerated,” Metzger said. “I hope our campus community will continue to come together to condemn hate and violence and to uphold the culture of compassion, understanding, and peace that we have all built together at UCF.”
Asi didn’t respond to a request for comment from Campus Reform.
