Inmates Assault Terror Suspect in Arizona Jail

 
Mahin Kahn

Mahin Khan, of Tucson, Ariz., who apparently didn’t know his photo was being taken. (Image: Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

An 18-year-old Tucson resident named Mahin Khan was arrested earlier this month for allegedly planning terror attacks on government buildings in Arizona.

After being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, he was booked into Maricopa County jail and tossed into general population. Bad idea — for Mr. Khan, that is.

The defense team for an Arizona teen accused of terrorism revealed Friday that he has been attacked while in jail.

In court records obtained by ABC15, the defense team for 18-year-old Mahin Khan said, “Mr. Khan has already been attacked once while in the jail, based on the charges.”

According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, Khan was offered the chance to be placed in ‘Voluntary Segregation’ due to his charges, but he declined. He was placed at Towers Jail in a medium security general population housing, where he was assaulted by other inmates on July 2.

Khan suffered some minor injuries and was evaluated at the hospital. He is now at the Lower Buckeye Jail in segregated housing.

I can only assume the other inmates muttered “there goes the neighborhood,” when he arrived.

When Khan was allegedly plotting with Terik-e Taliban Pakistan to take down the US government which so oppressed him, he was living in the exclusive Catalina Foothills Estates gated community. We can only hope the Lower Buckeye Jail meets the exacting standards to which he has grown accustomed.

Published in Islamist Terrorism
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  1. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    Left unsaid is whether he was attacked because he’s a terrorist or if it was just because he’s fresh meat there.

    • #1
  2. Roberto Inactive
    Roberto
    @Roberto

    The King Prawn:Left unsaid is whether he was attacked because he’s a terrorist or if it was just because he’s fresh meat there.

    Medium security facility, these are not the inmates out of Oz.

    • #2
  3. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Lower Buckeye

    We can only hope his Lower Buckeye guardians are up to the job.

    • #3
  4. Nick Stuart Inactive
    Nick Stuart
    @NickStuart

    If he’s convicted, put him in the general population and start a rumor he’s a pedophile.

    • #4
  5. Kay of MT Inactive
    Kay of MT
    @KayofMT

    Jon Gabriel, Ed.: Catalina Foothills Estates gated community.

    It appears he is learning about worse places to live. He is due for a Bond/Release hearing. Would they actually release him?

    • #5
  6. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    untitled

    The Catalina Foothills is definitely a wealthy area. Homes in that area range from 475K to 3M+ at the highest end of the scale.
    He moved from one gated community to another gated community. His new view is probably not as nice as the old view.

    • #6
  7. Chris Campion Coolidge
    Chris Campion
    @ChrisCampion

    I lived in Tucson for 2 years.  They asked me not to return to the foothills of Catalina.  Something about missing pool chaise lounges.

    I did not spend time in the Maricopa County Lounge Facility, however.  Sounds dreamy.

    • #7
  8. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    The world’s smallest violin …

    SmallestViolin

    … playing the world’s saddest song.

    • #8
  9. Zafar Member
    Zafar
    @Zafar

    What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent.  Amirite?

    • #9
  10. drlorentz Member
    drlorentz
    @drlorentz

    Zafar:What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent. Amirite?

    Not exactly a hoot. But yeah, what if indeed.

    • #10
  11. D. Ritsas Inactive
    D. Ritsas
    @DRitsas

    I know that there are state terrorism statutes but why is he not in custody under Federal charges?

    • #11
  12. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    From The Arizona Republic:

    The FBI detailed its investigation into Khan in court documents, saying it intercepted Khan’s phone and email communications discussing potential targets, including an Air Force recruitment center in Tucson. The FBI said Khan had also reached out to a member of a known foreign terrorist organization asking how to build a pressure-cooker bomb.

    • #12
  13. Doctor Robert Member
    Doctor Robert
    @DoctorRobert

    Zafar:What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent. Amirite?

    He IS innocent until proven guilty.  The state of AZ has an obligation to those whom it imprisons, which was not met here due to the prisoner’s choice.

    • #13
  14. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    D. Ritsas:I know that there are state terrorism statutes but why is he not in custody under Federal charges?

    I believe he is being charged by the Feds. Those awaiting trial on federal charges are usually housed in county jails, for example bank robbery. On the day of trial they are moved into holding cells in a Federal Court House They can change into civilian clothes for the trial and are under supervision of Federal Marshals. At the end of the day it’s back to the county jail.

    • #14
  15. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    The interesting thing about Mr. Khan is that he was arrested about two weeks after he turned 18. So he was arrested as an adult. 18 years of age and older means jail not incarceration in a juvenile facility. Juveniles may be lodged in an adult facility depending upon how serious a crime they are alleged to have committed.

    • #15
  16. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Zafar:What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent. Amirite?

    Khan is in the can because he is being held without bail. That usually happens when one is charged with a felony and there is a flight risk.

    Then there’s this:

    The Inquisitr had on July 2 confirmed that Mahin Khan was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after he was suspected of planning terror attacks in the region. Khan had allegedly planned to attack several government buildings situated in Maricopa and Pima counties. He was under the scanner of a Joint Task Force of the FBI who were suspicious about his activities and eventually had him arrested. Upon further investigation, FBI claims to have found evidence that Mahin Khan had made contact with Pakistani terror group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan — also known as the Pakistani Taliban or TTP. The FBI also alleged that Khan was in touch with an unknown individual to source weapons for his attacks.

    According to court documents, Khan had on April 16, this year, made a telephone call to an individual in which he discussed his plans for an attack. In the phone call, Khan is allegedly heard saying to the individual, “Have you ever been to the Mission Bay, California, area. That’s a pretty good target right there. There’s a lot of people there.”

    Khan is allegedly believed to have later given access to his email account to this unknown person who found several email conversations that Khan had with people who said they could provide weapons to him. In one of those emails, Mahin Khan allegedly identifies himself as an “American Jihadist who supports ISIS.” In another email, written by Khan in February, Khan allegedly writes, “Need AK and pistols can u do that wanna take out marines and Jews”

    They are alleging some very specific things — things for which evidence will (assuming there is any) be pretty much cut-and-dried. Maybe these FBI guys are better than the team they put on Hillary’s server. Either way, they initially gave Khan the option of going into a segregated environment. They’ve taken the option away for his own protection.

    • #16
  17. BD Member
    BD
    @

    Here’s to you #Never-Trumpers, for your tireless efforts to keep immigration at unassimilable levels.

    • #17
  18. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    BD:Here’s to you #Never-Trumpers, for your tireless efforts to keep immigration at unassimilable levels.

    The appeal of being a terrorist and committing terrorist acts is a lifestyle. It’s an ego boost and adrenaline rush. They feel important and thrive on a covert lifestyle. This same adrenaline rush is pervasive with common criminals. Recidivism rates are high because that adrenaline rush is very difficult to short circuit. Burglars enjoy the rush of breaking into a home or business. Some criminals look forward to fighting with a police officer. A defense attorney will never tell you that. Part of that rush includes contempt for the victims of their crimes. Some home burglars will defecate throughout a house to show their contempt for their victims. It transcends national boundaries and ideology is just one part of the problem.

    • #18
  19. jeannebodine Member
    jeannebodine
    @jeannebodine

    Even our criminals are more clear-eyed about the threat of radical Islam than our President. Go figure. Although I don’t condone the violence (obligatory), I get a little thrill of patriotism thinking that even our prisoners love America.

    • #19
  20. Carey J. Inactive
    Carey J.
    @CareyJ

    jeannebodine:Even our criminals are more clear-eyed about the threat of radical Islam than our President. Go figure. Although I don’t condone the violence (obligatory), I get a little thrill of patriotism thinking that even our prisoners love America.

    Some scumbags are so bad that Ordinary Decent Criminals won’t share a cell block with them. Jeffery Dahmer was killed by another inmate while in prison.

    • #20
  21. Ball Diamond Ball Member
    Ball Diamond Ball
    @BallDiamondBall

    IF he is a terrorist, then I hope he gets assaulted.  Now, since he has been assaulted, I can only hope that he is a terrorist.

    Note that both of these are predicated upon his terror-nature.  I would not wish any ill fate to befall him simply because his name is Khan.  Nothing wrong with being Persian, especially in Persia.

    • #21
  22. rebark Inactive
    rebark
    @rebark

    If he’s guilty and he is imprisoned, I only foresee more bitterness and anger at America in his future. If it’s not for life I can imagine him wanting to act on that hatred as revenge for his lost youth. If he’s innocent of anything other than being IS-curious, maybe this will be a scared straight type situation, but the number of unhappy endings I can think up for this story is higher than the number of happy ones.

    Islamism is alluring to young men who are going through a period of development where biological factors push people towards aggression – recruiters market violent jihad as a kind of power fantasy. And yet the notion that we should theatrically defeat groups like ISIS lest they should appear like the strong horse is anathema to many of our leaders.

    • #22
  23. Ontheleftcoast Inactive
    Ontheleftcoast
    @Ontheleftcoast

    jeannebodine: Even our criminals are more clear-eyed about the threat of radical Islam than our President. Go figure

    Except for the ones who find meaning and order in their lives – or a religiously sanctioned outlet for violence and other criminality – in prison conversions to Islam.

    Still, it’s nice to hope that this was a Jihadi getting beaten by what the Irish used to refer to as “ordinary decent criminals” (as opposed to the “politicals” in the IRA and UVF etc.)

    • #23
  24. Patrickb63 Coolidge
    Patrickb63
    @Patrickb63

    Zafar:What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent. Amirite?

    As was noted in the article he was offered protective custody and turned it down. After he was attacked, the option was taken from him. I would not support throwing him to wolves, he chose to go there. But I won’t feel bad about what happened, so stop with the attempt at a guilt trip.

    • #24
  25. Tommy De Seno Member
    Tommy De Seno
    @TommyDeSeno

    Kind of mixed feelings here based upon his charges, but honestly  I shouldn’t have them.

    I’ve always been of the mind that when the government takes away a man’s freedom, even if he deserves it, they’d better take care of his security.   To do less is an injustice.

    We have penalties in this country that are doled out by judges.  We don’t have cell block beatings.

    As soon as you allow the government to go lax on securing a guy you hate, you’ll have no standing to complain when they go lax on the security of a guy you don’t hate.

    Everybody hates somebody.

    • #25
  26. Basil Fawlty Member
    Basil Fawlty
    @BasilFawlty

    Zafar:What a hoot if he turns out to be innocent. Amirite?

    I really don’t cair.

    • #26
  27. Doug Watt Member
    Doug Watt
    @DougWatt

    Tommy De Seno:Kind of mixed feelings here based upon his charges, but honestly I shouldn’t have them.

    I’ve always been of the mind that when the government takes away a man’s freedom, even if he deserves it, they’d better take care of his security. To do less is an injustice.

    We have penalties in this country that are doled out by judges. We don’t have cell block beatings.

    As soon as you allow the government to go lax on securing a guy you hate, you’ll have no standing to complain when they go lax on the security of a guy you don’t hate.

    Everybody hates somebody.

    I believe it was the Federal officers that allowed him to make the decision to choose general population or segregated population. When I made an arrest and someone was contemplating resisting I would tell them that is the last decision you make tonight, but you are going to booking and I don’t care if we have to stop at the hospital on the way to booking. Once Mr. Khan was in custody he does not get to make any decisions, and regardless of what he wants he should have been placed in segregated custody. He had only turned 18 years old two weeks before his arrest. The corrections officers don’t have to ask him to change his mind, and the Feds don’t get to make decisions for the county corrections officers.

    • #27
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