Father of Ethiopian-Israeli teen slain by cop: ‘I hope he’s the final victim’

Hundreds of people gather at the Ethiopian congregation’s Heritage House in the Kiryat Haim neighborhood of Haifa for the funeral of Solomon Tekah, 19, who was shot dead Sunday during an altercation with police.

“Give me back my son,” Tekah’s father Worka cries as he entered the funeral hall. “My son had a joy for life and love of life. He smiled and he was sensitive.”

Tekah’s death has sparked renewed accusations of police brutality and racism toward the Ethiopian community. His distraught father turned his eulogy into a plea for justice and a cry for hope that the situation would change.

“We are asking for justice. My son has already gone but I hope he will be the last victim. Do not cry for my son, we demand that the murderer get what he deserves and find justice, help me in this struggle,” he says.