3 police officers indicted for assaulting Arab youth
Officers accused of allegedly abducting, attacking 19-year-old resident of Haifa's Wadi Nisnas neighborhood. Suspects deny allegations
Three Haifa District police officers were indicted for the abduction and assault of 19-year-old Alex Abu Shkara, a resident of the Wadi Nisnas neighborhood in the city. All three were also charged with abuse of power.
The case has been handled by the Police Internal Affairs Bureau (IAB) and the evidence complied by the Northern Prosecutor's Office is said to detail severe abuse.
Shkara's run-ins with officer Maor Israel, the lead suspect, began several months ago: "He was driving nearby and called me to come over to the squad car," testified Shkara. "I went over and he asked for my ID. I gave it to him and then he through it on the road and told me 'pick it up like a dog.'"
The assault in question allegedly took place last Tuesday: "A white Skoda with two detectives pulled up next to me and the officers told me to get in. When I asked why, they said they wanted to search me.
"One of them called someone and said 'we've got him and we're just under your house.' Then I saw the officer who through my ID card on the road come running down from one of the buildings."
Shkara's testimony goes on to describe the attack: "He opened the door of the back seat and began punching me in the face. My nose and face started bleeding. He asked me if I remember him, and when I said yes, he said that the next time I see him I better cross the road to the other side.
"Then he grabbed me by my clothes and told me to get out of the car. He was shoving me, but I was afraid to get out of the car because I thought he was going to beat me up even more."
Suspects deny allegations
When asked what the two other policemen sitting in the car were doing during the incident, Shkara said they were laughing.
Israel was arrested by IAB officers one day after the complaint against him was lodged, and has been in custody since. He categorically denied all the allegations against him.
A day after Israel's arrest, IAB arrested the two other officers in question, Guy Meir and Oren Shadmi. Meir admitted to picking Shkara up and calling Israel, but he maintains he did not know the latter intended on assaulting him.
Shadmi, 27, who outranks both Israel and Meir, was driving the squad car during the incident. He claims he was unaware of the assault taking place in the back seat of the car, because he was on the phone the entire time. He denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the incident.
