Feras Morad

Feras Morad was a nationally ranked debater with a brilliant mind and a kind heart who dreamed of attending Harvard Law School. The 20-year-old man, a student at Moorpark College, was known for his academic excellence and his passion for argument, finishing as a runner-up in a national debate competition just a week before his death. His family remembered him as a peaceful, loving person who wanted to make the world a better place. He had recently been accepted to transfer to California State University, Long Beach, for the fall 2015 semester to study political science. His mother, Amal Alkabra, recalled him saying, "Mom, I’m going to be a lawyer. I’m going to make the world a better place."

On the evening of May 27, 2015, Feras was in Long Beach studying with friends from his debate team. According to his family and friends, he experimented with hallucinogenic mushrooms for the first time and had a severe adverse reaction. Around 7:30 p.m., in a state of distress, he fell or jumped through a second-story plate-glass window in the 4600 block of East 15th Street. His friends called 911 for medical help, reporting that he was injured, bloody, and acting erratically. When Long Beach Police Officer Matthew Hernandez, a 12-year veteran of the force, arrived at the alley, he found Feras shirtless and covered in blood.

The encounter that followed lasted less than three minutes. According to police statements, Feras was behaving violently and advanced on the officer, ignoring verbal commands to stop. Officer Hernandez stated that he told Feras he was there to help, but Feras allegedly threatened to attack him. The officer deployed a Taser twice, used an impact weapon described as a flashlight, and engaged in a physical struggle, but was unable to subdue him. Hernandez said that as Feras continued to advance with clenched fists, he feared for his life and fired his weapon. Feras was struck by six gunshots and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

However, witness accounts, including those from a Long Beach Fire Department captain and other firefighters on the scene, conflicted with the police narrative. They described Feras as disoriented and dazed, but not aggressive or violent. The fire captain, Robert Griego, told investigators he was shocked when the officer drew his gun and that he and others yelled, "Don't shoot! Don't shoot, he's not armed!" Griego stated that Feras was on one knee when the officer fired, though the medical examiner concluded the wounds were more consistent with him being in a standing, fighting stance.

The shooting immediately sparked outrage, protests, and calls for justice from Feras's family, friends, and community members. A candlelight vigil was held in his hometown of Woodland Hills, and demonstrators marched on the Long Beach Police Department headquarters. His loved ones insisted that he was clearly unarmed, injured, and in need of medical attention, not deadly force. A GoFundMe page was created to help his family with funeral expenses. The investigation was handled by the Long Beach Homicide Detail and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, which is standard procedure. Toxicology tests on Feras's blood were positive for marijuana, but negative for psilocybin, the active chemical in hallucinogenic mushrooms, and for synthetic "bath salts." Further testing was not possible as the coroner's office had mistakenly discarded the remaining blood samples.

In September 2017, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced it would not file criminal charges against Officer Hernandez. Prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer did not act in lawful self-defense, stating Hernandez had an "honest belief in the need for self-defense." The report noted conflicting witness statements but determined the officer's decision to use deadly force was "arguably reasonable." Hernandez was placed on paid administrative leave following the shooting but later returned to patrol duties.

Feras's family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Long Beach and Officer Hernandez, initially seeking $28 million in damages and demanding changes to police policies on de-escalation. The civil case went to trial in July 2018. After nine days of testimony, a federal jury deliberated for seven hours and returned a unanimous verdict in favor of the city and Officer Hernandez. The jury found that the officer had acted reasonably and did not use excessive force. Attorneys for the Morad family later appealed the verdict, arguing that jurors had been improperly exposed to a 911 call that the judge had ruled inadmissible, but the appeal for a new trial was not granted. As of the latest reports, the civil case is concluded.