ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – In the past five years the Syed family has lived in Albuquerque, police have encountered them more than a few times. The Albuquerque Police Department released videos to KRQE showing several of the family’s run-ins with their agency.
APD has interrogated or arrested the Syed family, specifically Muhammad Syed, Adil Syed, and Shaheen Syed, more than a dozen times in the last five years. Videos and court records show those three are accused of attacking their family members and strangers.
Story continues below:
- August 4: Police: 3 separate murders of Muslim men in Albuquerque could be related
- August 6: Homicide could be connected to other Muslim shootings
- August 7: APD seeks vehicle of interest in homicide investigation
- August 8: Victim’s brother speaks out as police investigate if Muslim murders are connected
- August 8: Muslims fleeing Albuquerque, Afghan community remembers 4th victim
- August 9: Suspect arrested in murders of Albuquerque Muslim men
- August 10: Police search for motive as community grapples with murder of Muslim men
- August 10: Video: Murder suspect appears to slash tires in parking lot of Albuquerque mosque
December 2017 Incident
Muhammad Syed’s first incident with APD, that KRQE knows of, happened in December 2017. Video released by APD shows a bloody, shaken-up man standing half-clothed in a busy shopping center. A witness told police that a group of people drug him out of his car, kept beating the man, and then took off.
That victim told police he is the boyfriend of Muhammad Syed’s daughter.
Muhammad Syed is the only one charged. He faced one count of battery. His own son accused him of similar violent behavior a year later.
December 2018 Muhammad Arrest
Officer: “What’s going on?”
Shaheen: “So my dad starting hitting me. It’s not his first time. Every time he… {mom speaks over him}.
Shaheen: “She’s telling me now ‘Don’t tell the police what he did.'”
Shaheen Syed called police to his home in December 2018. After the officer asked his mom to leave the room where they were questioning him, you can see the then-17-year-old repeatedly looking at the door that’s separating him from his family.
Shaheen says his dad, Muhammad Syed, beat him with a metal spoon and threatened him with a knife. He also added his dad often abuses their mom. After looking at Shaheen’s injuries, police arrest Muhammad Syed. He’s uncooperative with the arresting officer and appears to repeatedly stall being taken out of his home.
February 2020 Muhammad Arrest
In February 2020, police accuse Muhammad Syed of being uncooperative again after he ran a red light and refused to pull over. Police follow him to an apartment complex where officers use a bullhorn to get Muhammad out of the car. Video shows police with guns out as they move in to handcuff him. The complaint says he called police names as they tried to explain why he was being arrested.
June 2020 Adil Arrest
Another police video from 2020 shows several members of the Syed family screaming at several APD officers. Muhammad, his wife and Shaheen show up as officers arrest the oldest son Adil Syed. He was accused of beating up his girlfriend, stealing her phone, and then driving her to an apartment complex where he bit and punched her friends.
From the video, you can see Muhammad Syed blatantly ignoring the officers giving him commands. He is almost arrested for making crude gestures towards them. The female officer instructs Shaheen, “I’m not gonna tolerate that. So you have a choice, you can get them out of here or you’re all going to jail.” Shaheen shoves his Dad away from the officers.
Now 21-years-old, Shaheen is currently in federal custody on gun charges. Court records also reveal police believe he may have helped his dad in the murders of at least two of the four Muslim men shot and killed in Albuquerque over the past nine months.
February 2022 Incident
At the time of his arrest, Shaheen had a warrant for allegedly hitting his father and sister. Police lapel video shows injuries to Muhammad’s face and blood stains on his torn clothes. The responding officers also try to speak with the family inside the home, but the video shows Muhammad’s wife stopping her children from speaking with police. The officers take the children outside to speak with them individually, but the children do not reveal anything about their brother’s alleged actions.
All of these cases were either dismissed or charges were never issued because witnesses or victims would not cooperate. In another case, an officer did not show up to court.
August 2022 Muhammad Arrest
On August 9, 2022, Albuquerque Police with the help of state and federal agencies arrest 51-year-old Muhammad Syed for the murders of Aftab Hussein on July 26 and Muhammad Afzaal Hussain on August 1. A judge ruled this week Muhammad will be held until trial.
