Border cop cleared of manslaughter for killing autistic Palestinian in Jerusalem

The judge noted that the officer made a split-second decision in a dangerous situation.

By World Israel News Staff

A Jerusalem court on Thursday acquitted a border police officer who was charged with reckless manslaughter when he fatally shot an autistic man from eastern Jerusalem.

The officer, known only as A., shot Iyad al-Halak in Jerusalem’s Old City, under the mistaken belief that he was a threat when he did not stop when called to.

Judge Chana Lump communicated the court’s empathy towards the bereaved family but described the incident as a tragic mistake, noting that the officer made a split-second decision in a dangerous situation.

She outlined the complex scenario the officer found himself in, considering the high frequency of terrorist attacks in the area. The officer arrived at the scene where Halak had been erroneously marked as a dangerous individual. This misconception led the officer to a genuine error, as he was unaware of Halak’s innocence or his disability.

Halak’s caregiver began screaming and A, thinking she was under attack from Halak, chased him into a trash room where he shot him.

“These were a few seconds that felt like an eternity. It’s such a quick event, I didn’t have time to break it all down. I wanted to save that woman,” he told the court.

After hearing the verdict, Halak’s mother cried out,“There is no justice. Shameful. My son is under the ground.”

A. took to Facebook to express his feelings about the impending judgement, saying, “I hope this ends tomorrow, but whatever happens in court, I will always carry this heavy weight around for the rest of my life. I want justice. I deserve justice. I want all the lies that were told about me to disappear. I want the court to tell everyone that I am not a criminal, that I am a fighter that wanted to do one thing: prevent a terror attack. I would never harm an innocent person.”

A.’s father backed his son’s actions, stating, “The shooting was completely operational, there was a report by police of a terrorist, there was a chase, and my son got there before everyone else. He was certain that he was neutralizing a terrorist and that he was shooting to stop a threat, and the internal investigations unit took this story and tried to spin it with crazy fake news. All of these things fall apart in court, and I repeat that the witnesses that the internal investigations unit brought support my son’s version. All of the officers there said they would have done the same thing.

“My son was not abandoned, he is backed by the Commissioner and by Amir Cohen, the commander of the Border Police. He has the support of the high ranks, he continued his service. As far as the system, he was not a disobedient officer, he was an officer who followed orders and did what was needed.”
A’s mother said, “It a tragedy for both sides. To families were destroyed, but I can tell you that my son doesn’t wake up in the morning with the plan to kill someone.”