The late Sgt. Naim Maadi in an undated photo. (Police Spokesperson)
A 19-year-old Border Police officer was found dead Thursday night on his base in northern Israel and another soldier in his unit was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide.
Medical examiners initially thought Sergeant Naim Maadi from the Druze town of Julis took his own life in the Acre base, but further investigation led to the arrest of the 21-year-old soldier from the same unit, Channel 12 News reported.
The suspect reportedly claims he left his gun with Maadi when he went to shower and that he found him dead upon his return.
The arrested soldier is also suspected of obstructing legal proceedings and evidence tampering. His detention was extended by four days.
Border Police patrol in downtown Jerusalem during Israel’s third coronavirus lockdown, December 29, 2020. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
“The investigation is just beginning, we don’t know why they arrested my client,” a lawyer representing the suspect told Channel 12.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Shaykh Mowafaq Tarif, the current spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, attends a Druze-led rally to protest against the ‘Jewish Nation-State law’ in Rabin Square, Tel Aviv on August 4, 2018. (Gili Yaari /FLASH90)
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif, the Druze spiritual leader in Israel said “we feel the pain of the family and our hearts are with them,” adding that Maadi came from “a normal family, that loved to serve in the Border Police, and was proud of it.”
A spokesperson for the police said, “Border Police officers share the grief of the family and bow their heads in memory of the soldier Naim.”
Maadi was reportedly an outstanding policeman during his mandatory service. He will be buried Friday in his hometown.
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
