WATCH: Footage shows horrifying Acre car-ramming attack
Hard-to-watch new videos exhibit seemingly planned, cold blooded attacks on Israeli security personnel in last month's Acre ramming attack, casts doubt on driver's claims it was all accidental.
New footage from last month's car-ramming attack in Acre depicts the horrifying moments in which driver Malik Asadi plowed into several security personnel and one civilian.
Asadi maintains the incident was not a nationalistically motivated attack, but rather a series of unfortunate accidents. The police say otherwise.
Warning: Graphic content
The March 4 attack took place after Asadi—a 26-year-old resident of Shfaram—took his pregnant wife to a local HMO for a checkup. Failing to find a parking spot, he decided to park on the curb near the place and was fined.
Asadi then seemingly went on a rampage that resulted in him lightly-to-moderately wounding two soldiers, a border policeman and a pedestrian.
Newly released video footage shows Asadi plowing into one soldier near the city market, then backing up and speeding off recklessly toward the train station, flattening bushes and traffic signs on his way before running over more people, who are captured bouncing off the hood of his car and skidding several meters on asphalt.
At one point, after the first soldier is ran over, he appears to get back up and aim his weapon at Asadi's car, but not firing. Asadi was finally neutralized by one of the policemen he wounded, who managed to pull off a shot that ended his spree.
Defense claims driver disoriented, unfit for trial
The indictment filed against Asadi, which charges him with four counts of attempted murder, noted he left his job in a factory that manufactured wagons for the IDF.
Asadi claimed he left because it was against his Islamic beliefs. "I do not want my food to be (bought using money earned by doing) anything forbidden," he said, claiming he would even turn away NIS 10 million should it be handed by Mifal HaPayis—Israel's national lottery—as gambling is prohibited in Islam.
The indictment also noted Asadi wished for a relative to meet him in heaven, where "things are better," which he claims was innocent in nature.
Asadi strongly denied allegations that he carried out a premeditated attack out of nationalist motives.
According to him, he was confused and disoriented as he was not familiar with Acre's roads.
"Without realizing it, I ran over a soldier," he claimed, adding that he would have run over that man even if it was his father, because he simply didn't notice him.
As for his reckless driving, Asadi explains he feared for his life after seeing the soldier he had hit point a gun at him.
"I stopped the car and wanted to help him, but then I noticed that he cocked his weapon and wanted to shoot me. I was afraid for my life and ran away," he said. He excused the following rammings as a flight response, saying he was panicked and trying to flee the scene so as to save his life and the life of his pregnant wife.
His lawyers, though, affirmed he is mentally ill, revealing he underwent a psychiatric examination some two years ago.
"As early as 2016, it was declared that he is unable to distinguish between good and evil," his defense stressed, noting he cannot stand trial for the acts attributed to him as his judgment is too impaired.
"I saw the videos; they are not easy to watch, and that's to put it mildly. However, there is no doubt that he needs psychiatric hospitalization and nothing more," one of his attorneys concluded.
