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Family of slain mentally ill man slams cops, says released footage ‘incomplete’

29 March 2021, 6:33 pm Edit
Munir Anabtawi (R), a mentally ill man from Haifa shot dead by cops who said he charged at them with a knife on March 29, 2021. (Courtesy)
Munir Anabtawi (R), a mentally ill man from Haifa shot dead by cops who said he charged at them with a knife on March 29, 2021. (Courtesy)

The family of Munir Anabtawi, a mentally ill man shot dead today by cops in Haifa, place the blame on the “unprofessional” police officers after what they called “incomplete” footage emerged of the killing, showing only the first of several shots fired at him after he brandished a knife at the cops.

“We saw videos of the incident, and after family members saw the deceased’s body at Rambam hospital it is clear that the cops acted unprofessionally, using live fire several times, killing him,” the family says in a statement carried by the Musawa Center rights group.

“Trained police officers are supposed to neutralize a suspect, who is mentally ill, without killing him,” the statement adds. “In the incomplete video sent out by the police, which doesn’t represent the whole incident, the other officers aren’t seen and it is impossible to determine at what stage they began shooting at the deceased.”

The family calls for a “comprehensive and professional investigation,” saying such incidents typically repeat themselves when the suspects are Arab.

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