JACKSONVILLE – The 50-year-old southern regional representative of Jacksonville’s New Black Panther Party for Self Defense was arrested Monday on charges of false imprisonment and resisting an officer without violence, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Mikhail Shareef Muhammad of North Myrtle Avenue remained held on $200,000 bail Wednesday, according to jail records.
Police were called just after 2 p.m. by a friend of Muhammad’s wife, Claudia Lizeth, who said he wasn’t willing to let her leave and was afraid for her life, according to the arrest report. Officers went to Muhammad’s home, where Lizeth mouthed, “Help me” to a sergeant.
Muhammad demanded to know where officers were taking his 41-year-old wife as they escorted her outside to question her. When he left the room to call his attorney, his wife told police she wanted to leave and was afraid of her husband, the report said.
Muhammad put his arm across the front door as police tried to get back in to get Lizeth’s belongings and refused repeated orders to let them in. When he was told he would be arrested if he didn’t let officers in, Muhammad said they would have to arrest him and he was handcuffed, the report said.
Later, Lizeth told police that Muhammad has locked all doors and windows and wouldn’t let her use the telephone, and she was “deathly afraid of him,” according to the report.
Muhammad’s organization protests racism and wants to “develop complete constructive change amongst our people and to defend our rights,” according to its national organization’s website, www.newblackpanther.com.
Some of its recent Florida activities have included seeking the resignation of Jacksonville Councilwoman Kimberly Daniels and offering a $10,000 reward for the “capture” of George Zimmerman shortly after the fatal shooting of Sanford teenager Trayvon Martin last year. (article)