Police Officer Assaults Yeshiva Bachur, Pays Heavy Price.

The police officer who assaulted a ponevitsher Yeshiva bachur two years ago has finally been indicted. The court ruled that the officer will get four months imprisonment on condition and 250 hours of communal service. The officer will also have to pay 3,500 Nis to the bachur as compensation.
As previously reported, two years ago in Shvat, police were called down to restore the calm during protests that were taking place near Ponevitsh Yeshiva. As the people were dispersing, caught on camera, is a plainclothes detective approaching a bachur standing nearby. Without any provocation on the bachur’s part the officer kicked him in the chest.

In the aftermath of the event the bachur shared his story with Arutz 10. “I left my room and came downstairs to see what was going on…... Some smart guy banged on the police car and the officer came out. Everybody went running. I innocently thought that as a neutral by stander I had nothing to fear. He assaulted me in my chest and neck with a strong kick. I immediately coupled over and lost my memory. After forty minutes, I suddenly woke up holding a cup of water in my hand”
After “Bechadrei chareidim” aired the video showing the assault the bachur filed an official complaint with the department for police investigation. An investigation was opened and the officer was suspended from operating in that local area.
The complaint that eventually led to the officer’s indictment was filed five months ago. “Bechadrei chareidim” managed to obtain a copy of the file. The indictment states that “as a result of the defendants actions the victim was injured from the neck to the right shoulder, at the ear and the face. The defendant also suffered from disorientation and dizziness after the assault”.
On Sunday a hearing was held in the Shalom court house located in Tel Aviv. Superintendent officer Moshe Amar, testified on behalf of the detective saying “he opened the door for me, taught me to recognize and understand chareidi Bnei Brak, the region that was under his jurisdiction. It’s not an easy area, he provided us with the best possible answers for overcoming crime.”

“Aside from the numerous awards he received, many cases that were solved in the area are to his credit. Bnei Brak is like a country in a country” says officer Amar, “talking to the police there is Muktsah. You talk to a Rav there not the police. He succeeded in establishing a great infrastructure. He sole motivation is helping the police solve cases. He is not driven by any other motive”.

Also testifying on behalf of the convicted detective was Eliyaz Navot, head of Tel Aviv police intelligence division. Navot, who also knows the officer for the past 18 years pointed out ‘’we are talking about someone brave, invested, who contributes significantly, and connects with each and every individual. Everyone loves and respects him. Within a short period of time I appointed him to be my assistant and close aid…
Because of his professional knowledge and ability to connect with people he advanced very fast, becoming a youth coordinator. He turned into a professional…..in the past eight years he registered more than 3,500 reports, over 900 arrests and more than 700 cases of indictments were opened due to his intelligence work”.

“Bechadrei chareidim’’ obtained documents showing that prosecutors reached a plea bargain with the officer in which he would commit to communal service, sentence on condition and paying compensation to the Yeshiva bachur.
Ariel Mammon, representor of the prosecution says, ‘’The defendants action assaulted the value of protecting the honor and physical wellbeing of human beings. The defendant kicked the victim in front of his friends, applying meaningless and unnecessary force that left the victim injured at the scene”. He also added that the officer’s behavior left a stain on the entire community of police officers. ‘’it’s not that the use of force that was rightly applied and got out of hand, rather, the violence was unjustified from the start” he noted.
According to the superintendent, the officer could not offer a satisfactory explanation as to why he acted the way he did. In a general report that was done the officer came up with a revised claim, he thought the bachur banged on his car. ‘’If that is what he thought why didn’t he file a report, why didn’t he arrest anyone? Clearly it’s all just an excuse. In the initial investigation, he claimed something else. Such hologenetic actions have to be uprooted from the source”

According to the officer’s attorney Moshe Alon, ‘’Gatherings in Bnei Brak are no different than gatherings that take place in more hostile cities where the residents don’t carry a blue I.D. card” he claims that after the local police officers had a long and tiring day, he (defendant) volunteered to do an additional shift at the expense of his personal and family time. He also went on to say that the officer was suspended for a year and a half and his salary has also been cut by 50%. All this after 22 years of good service.

Speaking at the hearing, the officer said ‘’ I made a wrong decision, I have been home for over a year and a half suspended, excluded from the whole system. I want to return to my friends and my work”

Before ruling on the case, Judge Tzachi Uziel who is also the assistant deputy of the Shalom court house in Tel Aviv, expressed that this is not a regular violent offense. “This offense undermines the fundamental values of Israel’s police force, and it severely hurts the community’s trust in law enforcement agencies”
Up until his suspension because of this incident, Dan regional police were very happy with the detective’s work. Thanks to his work many arrests were made which contributed to the quality of life in the city.
As of now the Ponevitsh Yeshiva bachur declined to comment to “Bechadrei chariedim”.


Translated by Eli. B.

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