The Ventura County, California Medical Examiner's office has ruled that the death of a Jewish man who was attacked by a Hamas supporter on Sunday in Thousand Oaks was caused by blunt force trauma and ruled it a homicide.

As RedState reported Monday, a Hamas supporter hit Paul Kessler over the head with a megaphone during a confrontation on Sunday, causing Kessler to fall and hit his skull on the pavement. Video posted to social media showed Kessler lying in a pool of blood, and he died of his injuries on Monday morning.

Though many media reports have listed the location as Los Angeles, or northern Los Angeles County, the incident took place in the Thousand Oaks area of Ventura County, just northwest of Los Angeles. While crime in Los Angeles County is skyrocketing, Thousand Oaks is ranked the 9th safest city in the United States and has not seen the types of Antifa and BLM protests other areas around Los Angeles have experienced. The Ventura County Sheriff's Department is investigating, and issued the following information Monday evening (emphasis mine):

A 69-year-old man, identified as Paul Kessler, died as a result of injuries sustained during an altercation at a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian event, both of which were occurring simultaneously at the intersection of Westlake Blvd. and Thousand Oaks Blvd.  The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident and has not ruled out the possibility of a hate crime.   
 
On November 5, 2023, at approximately 3:20 PM, multiple citizens called the Ventura County Sheriff’s Communication Center to report a battery had occurred at the intersection of Westlake Boulevard and Thousand Oaks Boulevard in the City of Thousand Oaks. The intersection was the location of a Pro-Israeli / Pro-Palestinian demonstration.
 
Upon arrival, responding deputies located Kessler, who was suffering from a head injury.  Witness accounts indicated that Kessler was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestor(s).  During the altercation, Kessler fell backwards and struck his head on the ground. Kessler was transported to an area hospital for advanced medical treatment. On November 6, 2023, Kessler succumbed to his injuries.
 
An autopsy was performed on November 6^th and the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be blunt force head injury and the manner of death homicide.
 
This is an active and ongoing investigation, and the incident appears to be isolated and not part of a large effort.   
 
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office is requesting assistance from the public regarding this ongoing investigation.  Anyone who witnessed or has knowledge of the incident, or who was present at the demonstration is encouraged to contact Detective Stump at (805) 384-4745.

A press conference will be held Tuesday morning at 10:00 AM with further information. RedState will be following and will report additional information as it becomes available.