Cop admits he shot toward crowd during fatal Rahat melee

An officer involved in a deadly clash between police and a violent mob in the Bedouin town of Rahat in January told investigators he shot toward the crowd, according to a report published Wednesday, revising an earlier claim that he fired into the air.

The policeman is suspected of firing a lethal shot that killed 20-year-old Sami al-Jaar on January 15, after the officers were set upon by a violent mob following a routine arrest for drug-related offenses in the Negev desert town.

The officer, who was released to house arrest Tuesday for five days, said during an interrogation that he fired toward the crowd because he felt under immense pressure, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

Over the course of the investigation the officer changed his testimony a number of times, and claimed initially that his gun had misfired accidentally.

Before his last interrogation he underwent a polygraph lie detector test.

The Police Investigation Unit will deliberate in the coming days whether to press charges against the officer. Until now, no formal charges have been laid.

The officer’s name could not be published due to concerns for his safety and the safety of his family.

According to the initial police account of al-Jaar’s death, policemen shot in the air after they were attacked by stones as they entered Rahat to arrest several people for drug-related crimes. Al-Jaar, who was standing nearby, was hit.

Pathologists who examined the body of al-Jaar said that his injuries — massive blood loss following a bullet wound to the hips — were inconsistent with the testimonies provided by police.

President Reuven Rivlin visited the predominantly Bedouin town Wednesday to offer a show of support for the victims, but also expressed his faith in the police investigation and cautioned residents against taking the law into their own hands.

Rivlin visited the al-Jaar family and the family of Sami Ziadna, 43, who died of a heart attack during al-Jaar’s funeral procession when supervising police came under attack by another mob and responded using tear gas on January 18.

Offering his condolences to the families, Rivlin urged residents to look toward a common future with Israel’s Jewish citizens and praised Bedouin leaders for their leadership in handling the crises.

“We must not widen the abyss that threatens to divide us, but we must continue to build the bridge which brings us together,” Rivlin said. “[The State] is obliged to carry out brave and significant steps to bridge the economic gaps – in resources, infrastructure and industry – between the Jewish public, and the Arab and Bedouin communities.”

On Tuesday, Rivlin hosted Arab community leaders at his official residence in Jerusalem, and he spoke of the need for unity while meeting with a delegation from the Conference of Presidents of Major American Organizations.

A number of IDF soldiers launched a campaign recently to back the beleaguered officer, posting a show of support on social media sites.

One soldier’s Facebook post reads “we all stand with the policeman from Rahat” while another says “soldiers and policemen are one and the same: today it’s him, tomorrow it’s you. Stop abandoning [us]!”

The campaign closely mirrors other social media efforts aimed at defending Israeli security forces members accused of unlawful killings.