MUKILTEO—The intersection of Highway 525 and Goat Trail Road in Old Town Mukilteo, became a scene of a politically motivated attack against former Mukilteo City Councilman and current Republican candidate for the Washington State House of Representatives, 21st Legislative District, Riaz Khan.
“You fucking foreigners, you come to America, you son of a bitch,” Khan recalled with trepidation in his voice of the words said to him by two assailants just seconds before the brutal attack. “You motherfucking Trump supporter…”
The two men, according to Khan, began hitting him with wooden stakes and shouting words at him.
“if I didn’t have the hammer, they would have killed me,” Khan told the Lynnwood Times. “When they saw the hammer in my hand, they backed off and walked off real fast.”
Khan is in immense pain both physically and emotionally from the incident.
“This is Mukilteo, we are to feel safe in Mukilteo. There is a public safety issue going on right now. This is all about hate,” Khan said.
At approximately 2 a.m., Tuesday, October 29, two white males in their mid-30s to 40s, followed the former Mukilteo City Councilman as he left Mukilteo Lane at the waterfront. Khan was performing his nightly “sign patrol” routine across the 21st District.
Khan shared that for weeks, his signs have been stolen and that residents have been texting him witnessing his signs stolen. So, he has been patrolling the district late at night to replace stolen signs.
On the evening/early morning of the incident, Khan parked his car at the southbound Community Transit Bus Stop located at SR-525 and Goat Trail Road just in front of a Mukilteo Water & Wastewater District substation. He then proceeded to cross SR-525 to a mount known for placing campaign signs.
Shortly after crossing the road, a vehicle traveling southbound on SR-525 turned left onto Goat Trail Road and parked less than 50 feet from the intersection on the shoulder. Two men exited the vehicle, then approach Khan yelling at him for his attention, which Khan ignored.
With his back to them, the men proceeded to strike several times with wooden stakes, Khan said, leaving his back bruised and battered.
Khan turned around to defend himself, but the men, seeing a hammer in Khan’s hand, quickly returned to their vehicle and fled the scene heading east on Goat Trail Road.
“I could have chased them, but I said I would just follow the law and call the police,” Khan told the Lynnwood Times. “I don’t want somebody else to get hurt because of these guys.”
Khan told the Lynnwood Times that his assailants were two men, white, in their mid-30s to 40s. One was between 5-foot 10 inches to six feet in height with a goatee; the other was 5 feet 5 inches tall. Both wore black hoodies and were medium build. He shared that he never exchanged words with the men, nor does he know them.
He did file a report with the Mukilteo Police Department that morning.
“This was politically motivated and a hate crime,” Khan said.
When asked if he thought it was suspicious for the men to park near him and approached him at 2 a.m., Khan replied, “I didn’t realize it…this is Mukilteo. People walk around at night-time because it is safe. This is a normal thing.”
Khan said this is the first time he has experienced political violence against him in his years as a public servant.
In an August interview, Khan told the Lynnwood Times that he “walked away” from the Democratic party because the party’s approach to issues “no longer aligns with the values [he] holds most important.” He also criticized the party for lacking “leadership skills at all levels” —state level, federal, level, and party level—as well as the cause of rising grocery prices and crime.
He is a manufacturing engineer at the Boeing Company and a well-known Mukilteo activist. Khan was elected to his first term on the Mukilteo City Council in November 2019 and was the first Muslim to be elected for a city council position in Snohomish County. He served on the Mukilteo City Council for four years where he voted to increase the amount of police officers in the city to bolster public safety efforts.
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) released its annual crime data report on Tuesday, July 9, which compiles crime data across the state. Overall, the report found that crime rates were down across the board in Washington State when comparing 2022 to 2023; yet hate crimes and vehicular thefts continued to climb.
In Washington state, hate crimes increased 6% in 2023 for a total of 576 incidents, according to the report.
Khan’s opponent, Representative Strom Peterson condemned the politically motivated attack.
“There is no place for political violence and an attack like this is unacceptable,” Peterson told the Lynnwood Times. “I have known Riaz for years and appreciate his service to the community. I wish him a speedy recovery and support to his family.”
Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine shared that he and law enforcement will investigate this matter fully.
“Mukilteo is a safe and welcoming city,” Mayor Marine told the Lynnwood Times. “MPD will fully investigate this incident to hold these men accountable and bring justice to Khan and his family.”
Kahn’s wife, Ayesha, shared with the Lynnwood Times the night Riaz came home, battered and beaten.
“He was shivering and said, ‘hold me tight, hold my hand,’” Ayesha said.
Holding back tears, she added, “What if they would have broken his head, just because he is in politics. If anything happened to him….I don’t want to even think about it.”
The Khans have lived in Mukilteo for 15 years and call Mukilteo home.
“I am shocked! Mukilteo is the safest place. I wear the hijab and have no issues here. Now after yesterday, it has changed. I have so many friends here, Mukilteo is very friendly. Now I have to think twice and be more careful,” Ayesha said.
She told the Lynnwood Times that she, their son, or one of Riaz’s brothers will accompany him on his sign patrols going forward.
“I will pray for peace, and ill pray for those persons that have hate in their hearts for another human being. Crime has no place here in Mukilteo nor any other place,” Ayesha told the Lynnwood Times.
One Response
I am so sorry this happened to Riaz. I knew him from Kiwanis and always thought of him as a good man. Makes me sad this happened to him. There is no place for violence.