Policeman seriously injured by friendly fire in car chase
During pursuit, officer at roadblock opens fire at suspicious vehicle, wounding comrade
A policeman was seriously injured overnight Sunday-Monday by friendly fire during an attempt to stop a fleeing car at a central Israel checkpoint.
The injured officer, in his 20s, was taken to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and was reportedly stable.
Police had been chasing suspects in a car near the central city of Lod.
When the vehicle headed north along the coastal Route 2, officers set up a roadblock at HaSira Interchange, near Herzliya, to apprehend the suspects.
As the car approached the roadblock, an officer apparently believed the vehicle would ram through the barricade and opened fire, accidentally wounding his comrade.
Several people were arrested following the chase, according to police. The suspicions against them were not detailed by police or in Hebrew media reports.
During the arrest of the suspects, a “policeman was shot by mistake,” police said in a statement.
The Police Investigations Unit opened an inquiry into the incident.