Policeman dismissed despite subduing pride parade attacker
Shai Alleli among 7 police officers reprimanded for security gaps; commission finds that law enforcement did not search surrounding area and photos of Shlissel were not given to officers in the field.
The police commander who tackled Yishai Shlissel, preventing him from continuing his stabbing spree at the Jerusalem pride parade in June, has been dismissed from his role, it was revealed Sunday.
Six police commanders and a police officer were reprimanded as result of alleged security failures that allowed attack to occur.
Among the commanders was the head of the operational branch of the police's Central Unit, Chief Supt. Shai Alleli, who was reassigned and is barred from operational positions in the next five years.
An internal inquiry commission praised Allleli's actions in overpowering Shlissel, but in the same breath ruled he should be removed from his role because his forces were responsible for identifying "suspicious individuals" at the parade and nearby.
The commission found there was a disparity between the security plan proposed by Alleli and the one that was ultimately approved. It noted that identifying suspicious individuals focused solely on the parade itself, not the surrounding area.
Alleli is likely to request a hearing from the commission in the hopes of reversing the decision.
Alleli's attorney, Gadi Tal, said the responsibility of monitoring individuals recently released from prison "for a similar act", like Shlissel, was not his client's responsibility.
Interim Police Chief Maj.-Gen. Benzi Sau accepted the commission's findings and ordered their implementation.
The most senior officer to be reprimanded was the commander of the Moriah sub-district, Brig.-Gen. Kobi Davidian. He was barred from promotion in the next five years, and will not serve in command positions in the future.
According to the commission's report, high-ranking officers at the scene had photos of Shlissel in their possession, but the photos were not distributed to police in the field.
An additional finding in the report stated that a planned checkpoint for the street from which Shlissel entered was not established.
Furthermore, searches were not conducted according to plan. Police observers covered only the interior of the parade area, and not the surrounding streets. In short, security protocols were not fully implemented according to plan, the commission found.
