Scene of Jerusalem bulldozer attack (Archive photo)
Photo: Reuters
Palestinian arrested after fleeing with stolen tractor
Police fire several shots at bulldozer near Modi'in for fear of another terror attack; driver not injured, apprehended. Incident not terror-related
Police officers opened fire at a Palestinian who stole a tractor near Modi'in Tuesday afternoon. The man, who was not injured in the incident, was eventually caught and taken into custody.
A police spokeswoman said the incident was not terror-related.
Hadas, a Modi'in resident who witnessed the chase told Ynet "We stopped at a red light near the Shilat junction and suddenly saw a tractor heading toward a small jeep, whose driver was trying to dodge it. Then a police squad car stopped in the middle of the road; the tractor's driver proceeded to make a u-turn on a traffic island, attempted to flee the scene and then came to a stop.
"A police officer then stepped out of his vehicle and fired a few shots at the tractor," she recounted. "The driver was then taken out of the tractor and handcuffed. He didn’t appear to suffer from any injuries."
Due to the recent terror attacks in Jerusalem, which were carried out with the use of a bulldozer, police initially assumed the incident was also terror-related, but later determined that the Palestinian was merely trying to steal the tractor.
In the beginning of July three people were killed when an east Jerusalem Palestinian bulldozer operator went on a rampage in the capital's center; 36 people were injured in the attack.
On July 22 a Palestinian bulldozer driver was shot dead during a similar incident on Jerusalem's King David Street; 18 people were injured in the terror attack.
Roi Mandel contributed to the report
