Teacher struck in the neck with a wooden object at Pico and 4th
By Sam Catanzaro
On Wednesday morning, a male Santa Monica High School (Samohi) teacher was assaulted by a man wielding a wooden object outside Samohi.
According to Santa Monica Police Department Lieutenant Saul Rodriguez, Wednesday morning at approximately 6:57 am, the suspect, 40-year-old Jamil Nasir, approached the victim.
“The suspect, for unknown reasons, struck the victim in the neck area with a wood object/stick causing a visible scratch. Officers located Nasir at 4th St and Bay St and took him into custody without incident,” Rodriguez said.
Nassir has been booked for 245(a)(1) PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon. He remains in custody pending future court proceedings. Nassir’s bail is set at $30,000.
The teacher sustained minor injuries and did not require medical attention.
“We are pleased to report that he was able to return to work today,” said Samohi Principal Antonio M. Shelton, Ed.D. in an email sent out to Samohi families.
Shelton also addressed safety concerns the incident presents and mentioned that the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has made steps to bolster campus security.
“We want to remind students, staff, parents and visitors to be alert and aware of your environment at all times,” Shelton said. “Our security officers are responsible for on-campus security and we work collaboratively with SMPD to ensure the safety of the outside perimeter of our school. The District has just approved an increase of 1.5 security officers for Samohi, which we will use partially for additional morning duty. Hiring is in process.”
