A man from the northern town of Arraba has been indicted after being filmed loading a handgun in close proximity to his infant son and later firing the weapon in an open area, police and prosecutors said Monday.
The 26-year-old suspect and a 25-year-old friend, also from Arraba, were both charged earlier this week at the Haifa District Court. According to the indictment, the friend had lent the firearm to the suspect, who later returned it on the day of their arrest.
Father handles loaded gun over infant son in northern Israel
(Video: Israel Police)
Police said the incident began on October 27, when officers from the Northern District raided a compound in Arraba. During a search of a vehicle at the site, authorities discovered an FN handgun and ammunition.
Investigators reviewing the case later obtained videos showing the father holding the loaded weapon above his infant son's head, cocking it and placing it on the child’s body while speaking to him. In a separate video, the man is seen filming himself while firing the weapon in an open area in what police described as a display of bravado.
As the investigation progressed, police identified the second suspect as the individual who had lent the gun to the father. According to authorities, the two met on the day of the raid so that the weapon could be returned.
Following the investigation, the Haifa District Prosecutor’s Office filed formal charges against both men, along with a request to detain them until the end of legal proceedings. Authorities also sought the forfeiture of two vehicles allegedly used to transport the firearm and ammunition.
“Northern District officers, alongside Border Police forces, continue to act decisively against serious crime and illegal weapons possession in order to protect public safety," police said in a statement. "Since the beginning of the year, over 990 weapons have been seized and armed groups dismantled in the Northern District.”