Prosecutors to reopen investigation into police shooting at Umm al-Hiran

The State Prosecution plans to reopen the Umm al-Hiran investigation into the actions of police officers at the southern Bedouin village during a deadly confrontation last January.

The case files on officers at the scene were sent back to the Police Investigations Department in the Justice Ministry, the state prosecution announces citing “new evidence.”

In August, the PID finished its investigation and told prosecutors it did not find sufficient evidence to warrant indicting the police officers who shot and killed Yaacoub Abu Al-Qia’an, a local schoolteacher, shortly after his vehicle rammed into a group of officers, killing Sgt. Erez Levi.

The incident was initially labeled a terror attack, and Abu Al-Qia’an a terrorist, by Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. But video footage soon emerged, including from the police itself, that seemed to show a police officer shooting toward Abu Al-Qia’an before his vehicle accelerated toward the officers. An autopsy later found he had been shot in his right leg, and was likely unable to pull it off the gas pedal.

There was no reason given for the officer’s initial shooting.