Policeman caught on camera beating IDF soldier
Israel Police slams incident, suspends officer and hands footage over to internal investigations department.
A police officer has been suspended after he was filmed carrying out an apparently unprovoked attack on an IDF soldier in Holon.
The video, filmed by a local resident, shows the policeman talking to the soldier before hitting him and then arresting him at the scene of a suspicious package in the central town.
The video shows the soldier standing with his bicycle when he is approached by the police officer. After a brief exchange, the police officer begins to hit and shove the soldier, before he is joined by another officer. The two policemen then drag the soldier to the side and begin to beat and kick him before forcibly arresting him while he is on the ground.
The soldier's brother said: "I arrived at the scene five minutes after the incident. The video was given to us by neighbors who filmed it on a home video camera. My brother was recruited recently, he is a good boy and an outstanding student. He is someone who never hit anyone. They are just animals not people. I have still not been able to talk to him."
Israel Police condemned the attack and said that disciplinary action is underway.
"This is an incident that took place yesterday (Sunday) at 6pm, after a suspicious package was spotted in Holon. The scenes in the video are not consistent with the values of the Israel Police and we condemn such behavior. The footage has been handed to the Police Investigations Department and the officer suspended."
