Palestinian charged for death caused by Israeli police

Israeli prosecutors have charged a Palestinian man for the manslaughter of his cousin who was shot dead by Israeli police last week.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab

16 September, 2016

Violence since October has killed 223 Palestinians and 34 Israelis [AFP]

A Palestinian at the wheel of a car when police fired on it, killing a passenger, was charged with manslaughter on Thursday after prosecutors claimed his "erratic driving" made officers open fire.

In the charge sheet obtained by AFP, prosecutors said Ali Nimr was driving in east Jerusalem in the early hours of 5 September with his cousin Mustafa Nimr when he "tried to evade a police spot check" and "ignored orders to stop".

"As a result of the fire the accused was hit along with the deceased who died at the scene as consequence of a gunshot wound to the head," the charge sheet said.

Police initially claimed they had opened fire at the car, killing Mustafa who was in the passenger seat, after the pair attempted to carry out a car-ramming attack against their officers.

However, the police revised their statement after amateur footage aired on Israel's Channel 10 TV, appeared to show officers shooting after the vehicle had been stopped, suggesting it no longer posed a threat.

The video footage also undermines the police claim that Ali Nimr driving eratically when they opened fire.

The shooting took place in Shuafat Palestinian refugee camp where police were conducting an unrelated search for weapons.

Nimr was charged with negligent manslaughter, driving without a licence, driving without insurance and driving while intoxicated.

Violence since October has killed 223 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, one Eritrean and a Sudanese.

Israeli forces say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead during protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has faced accusations of excessive force in certain cases for allegedly shooting dead Palestinian attackers after they appeared to be subdued and posed no further threat.