Police officer abducted near Ashdod; freed unharmed. Assailant killed
Known offender arrested by police manages to overpower guard, abduct her from police station. Subsequent gunfight sees one police officer moderately wounded, abductor killed. Kidnapped officer released unharmed
Police officers shot and killed a known offender Tuesday morning, after he abducted a female officer from the Ashdod police station.
The event began around 4 am Tuesday, when the man was caught by police officer while breaking into a house in the city. Once brought into the police station, he was able to overpower the police officer guarding him, get hold of her gun and hold it to her head.
The officers attempted to negotiate with him, but he pushed his hostage into a police car and began fleeing north.
Police forces immediately began pursuing the man, ordering road blocks be set in the area. The officers were able to get hold of the man via police radio, but he refused to let his hostage go, claiming he "had nothing to lose."
The forces finally caught up with the man on Highway 40, near Ginaton Junction, when his car was stopped by a roadblock. A gunfight erupted at the scene, with Head of the Lod Patrol Unit, Ofir Binder, fatally shooting the assailant.
One officer sustained moderate gunshot wounds; the kidnapped officer was unharmed.
The police have formed a committee to investigate Tuesday's incident.
