Officer who hit Orthodox protester wins - and promoted

Officer accused of beating an Orthodox protester - was promoted: last week Disciplinary Tribunal judges of the Israel Police decided to acquit Superintendent Kobi Yeggin for benefit of the doubt, since there is no proof if he attacked the protester or just pushed him - even though the event was recorded by surveillance cameras.

The incident occurred in March 2010, on the real estate dispute in Warsaw neighborhood of Meah Shearim, when a violent confrontation broke out between members of Poland Kollel and sikriks.

Police team who arrived on the scene tried to restore order. Among those present was Yeggin, security officer of the Jerusalem Police. Yeggin was documented during the conflict as hitting one of the protesters. In a rare step, after the video documenting the striking reached PIU, the researchers decided to indict him, although the protester himself did not file a complaint.

The indictment, which describes the sequence of the
event, said: "At one point, when he scattered the Orthodox crowd which resides in the area, the defendant went up to the one of the ultra-Orthodox and hit him in the face with his elbow, intentionally and without right."

Yedioth Jerusalem reported that last week the three judges decided to acquit Yeggin, although he admitted to the allegations. "We pushed and shoved people as we are faced with a barrage of stones and tossing of eggs and diapers," Yeggin testified before the court before his acquittal. "We were in a state of mental and physical stress.
I say this as a police officer who has been through a few things in his life."

After the acquittal, during a festive event for officers at the heart of the capital, District Commander Yossi Pariente promoted him to Captain.