Police seek answers in stabbing of Border Policeman
A new video casts doubt on the suspect's claim that the attack was caused by an argument, not terrorism.
A new security video that captured a stabbing in Nahariya was released on Saturday, the day after the attack, raising further questions about the suspect's motives.
The minor accused of assaulting and wounding a Border Police officer claimed that he and the officer had been arguing and that the incident had nothing to do with terrorism – but the newer video shows the officer passing the perpetrator without looking at him. That said, it was unclear if the video documented all the interaction between the assailant and his victim.
The Shin Bet began questioning the suspect on Friday night, and on Saturday could still not rule terrorism out. Investigators also searched his home.
The suspect's attorney, Hanna Boulos, said before the remand hearing that he believed the teen was suffering from mental illness. He noted that the adolescent had previously attempted suicide and his relative suffer from different mental problems.
"He has had no prior criminal incidents," said the lawyer. "This is a totally normative teenager – a senior in high school. He does not know how to explain what happened, but we can say with certainty that it was not an act of terror. He planned to join the army."
He added that the suspect had walked around Nahariya for hours before the stabbing and claimed he had not had the knife for criminal purposes but that it had been forgotten in his coat pocket on a prior occasion.
The wounded officer was hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to return home on Sunday.
