File photo of police roadblock
Photo: Roi Idan
Palestinian car thief shot after nearly running over policemen
Spotting a roadblock and hailed to stop, car thief continues driving and is shot by police officers moments before ramming into them; officers say they aimed at the vehicles wheels.
A 26-year-old Palestinian suspected of grand theft auto was shot by police Wednesday after he attempted to breach a roadblock on Highway 90 near Jericho, nearly running over policemen in his way.
He was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital and is in moderate condition.
File photo of police roadblock (Photo: Motti Kimchi)
The police said that the incident began after they responded to a report about the theft of three vehicles from the Neve Midbar Beach at the Dead Sea. Police cars deployed in the area were then called to the scene and erected a roadblock just north of the area.
When one of the suspects arrived at the roadblock, the police ordered him to stop, but he continued driving. Then, according to the police, they attempted to shoot at the vehicle's wheels, but hit the suspect instead.
This took place just one day after an Israeli Arab driver was shot to death by IDF forces after crashing into a bus stop at the Giti Avisar intersection in the West Bank and attempting to flee the scene on foot in what initially seemed like an attempted ramming attack.
A preliminary investigation revealed the driver, Iyad Azbarka from Qalansawe, was actually fleeing from police in a stolen vehicle before crashing it due to his reckless driving.
