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The Bangladesh Association of New England (BANE), who organized the protest, allowed community members to express their frustrations with how police handled the situation and to ask for accountability.
"We want justice," the dozens of protesters shouted on the steps of the building. "We want justice for Sayed. Stop killing civilians."
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said last night that a man called 911 a little after 1 p.m. after he said he saw Faisal jump through a window in a neighboring apartment building with what was later identified as a kukri knife. He told the police dispatcher the jumper was sitting on the ground, cutting himself with broken glass from the shattered window and the long, curved blade.
When police and paramedics encountered him moments later in an alley on Sidney Street, Faisal ran, Ryan said. This sparked a foot chase that ended with an officer shooting the 20-year-old UMass student on Chestnut St. He died at Massachusetts General Hospital later that day.
Ryan said initial reports show Faisal refused to drop the 10-to-12-inch long knife despite police demands. She said police first used a "less-than-lethal sponge round," but it did not stop Faisal from advancing on them. That's when one officer fired his gun.
That officer is on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation, which is departmental protocol.
Members of BANE say the story of what happened doesn't add up. They claim the officer shot Faisal five times — with multiple rounds hitting him in the chest. Several members wanted to know why the officer wasn't trained to shoot him in the hand or in other non-vital areas. They also said police could have tried other non-lethal options before pulling their weapons.
DA Ryan would not disclose how many rounds the officer fired during a press conference on Wednesday night.
Some members of BANE also wanted to know why Faisal, who seemed to be having a mental health crisis, was confronted by police and not given help.
Ryan has promised a thorough and transparent investigation into the shooting. But as that process is ongoing, surveillance video from that area shows what happened during the chase.
WCVB reporter Mary Saladna uncovered one video that she says shows Faisal running from police along Chestnut Street. You can see the knife pressed against his neck as he turns back to look at the several police officers running after him.
Police would shoot Faisal moments later. BANE has since set up a GoFundMe to cover the cost of Faisal's funeral. People interested in donating can do so by clicking here.
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