Jewish man shot dead rushing checkpoint left suicide note

19-year-old from Jerusalem who ran at a soldier brandishing a knife reportedly suffered from mental distress

By Sue Surkes 2 May 2017, 9:15 pm Edit

Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter

Israeli security forces seen at the scene where an Israeli soldier was severely wounded when she was stabbed by a Palestinian near the Adam junction, near the Hizme checkpoint north of Jerusalem. The stabber was shot and killed by security forces at the scene, the IDF said. October 21, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)
Israeli security forces seen at the scene where an Israeli soldier was severely wounded when she was stabbed by a Palestinian near the Adam junction, near the Hizme checkpoint north of Jerusalem. The stabber was shot and killed by security forces at the scene, the IDF said. October 21, 2015. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)

A Jewish man who was shot and killed on Tuesday by Israeli troops who suspected that he was a terrorist left a suicide note declaring that he suffered from mental distress.

Police said the 19-year-old from the northern Jerusalem neighborhood of Pisgat Ze’ev ran at a female soldier on Tuesday afternoon, knife in hand, at the Hizme checkpoint in the West Bank, close to his home. After he was shouted a warning to halt, a security officer at the scene opened fire, killing him.

Hours after the incident, a friend of the suspect gave the suicide note to police, saying the dead man entrusted it to him several days before, according to Hebrew media reports.

Channel 2 News said the letter was addressed to the man’s mother, apologizing in advance and saying this was his last communication. He reportedly wrote that he could no longer lead a normal life in his mental state, and had no reason to continue living.

A knife found on a Jewish suspect, believed to have attempted to stab Israeli soldiers in the West Bank before being shot and killed on May 2, 2017 (Israel Police)
A knife found on a Jewish suspect, believed to have attempted to stab Israeli soldiers in the West Bank before being shot and killed on May 2, 2017 (Israel Police)

Since the wave of Palestinian terrorism broke out in 2015, over half a dozen Palestinian attackers suffered from mental illness or sought to end their lives in a form of “suicide by cop” or “suicide by soldier.” However, Tuesday’s case appeared to be the first such incident by a Jewish assailant.

A police statement on Tuesday said security forces had acted according to regulations by firing when they felt they were in immediate danger.

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