Hassan Ramzah probably can relate a little to verbal assaults on Barack Obama during this past presidential campaign.
A man was ordered this morning to stand trial for criminal threat to Ramzah, a captain with the Wichita Police Department, because of Ramzah’s name.
William Bakker heard evidence at a preliminary hearing this morning that he saw Ramzah’s name on the WPD Web site and called Patrol East. Officer J.W. Kasparek reported he took the call at around 2 a.m. on June 28. Kasparek said the caller appeared intoxicated.
The officer said Bakker identified himself as Jason Sanchez, and demanded to speak to Ramzah, who is African-American. When told Ramzah was not on duty, police said the caller referred to Ramzah with a racial slur and called him a Muslim.
Kasparek said the caller then claimed to have a gun and said “I’ve shot people like that.” The caller also said he didn’t think a black man who was a Muslim should have achieved the rank of captain at the WPD “without being shot.”
Police were able to trace Bakker through the phone number.