Man charged with hate crime after threatening family, calling them ‘dirty people’

A man is behind bars after police say he threatened a father and his children in a Miami Beach park in what authorities are calling a hate-motivated incident.

According to Miami Beach Police, the incident happened Thursday just before 2 p.m. at Stillwater Park.

Investigators said the suspect, identified as Ahmad Zeeshan, approached a man and his children as they were leaving the park and asked whether they were Jewish. Police said Zeeshawn then began shouting antisemitic slurs at the family.

The arrest report stated Zeeshan used derogatory language, including calling the victims “dirty people,” and threatened to attack the father and his children.

The victim told officers he feared for his family’s safety and pulled out a firearm in self-defense, prompting the suspect to back away.

Body camera footage released by police shows officers taking Zeeshan into custody.

Authorities said Zeeshawn told officers he is Muslim and does not like Jewish people, adding that he believed he was exercising his First Amendment rights. Officers also noted in their report that he did not appear to be mentally stable.

Zeeshawn was transported to the Miami-Dade County Jail, where he is being held on a charge of assault motivated by prejudice.

During a bond court hearing, a judge declined to grant a standard bond despite the defense noting that Zeeshawn has no prior arrests.

Community members in the area said they were surprised to learn about the incident.

Zeeshawn remains in custody pending his next court appearance.