The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday filed an indictment against a 17-year-old teenager for causing death by negligence, participating in a riot, throwing a stone or object at a vehicle and other offenses
Last month, the 17-year old took part in a mob of rioters which attacked an Arab Israeli man named Ibrahim Hamed while he was driving his vehicle, causing the man to crash into and kill 47-year-old Mevasseret Zion resident Itamar Ben Abu while fleeing the mob.
According to the indictment, on the evening of February 28, 21, many dozens of rioters gathered in the Mea Shearim neighborhood and violated public order while protesting the coronavirus restrictions on Shushan Purim Celebrations.
The defendant gathered with others on the road and prevented free movement of vehicles. Along with the crowd, he threw stones, bottles and other various objects at vehicles with drivers of Arab descent and police vehicles. Video published last month on Channel 13 News seems to verify this as accurate.
“I was sure they were going to kill me,” Hamed told Channel 13.
The indictment says that one car slowed down on Shivtei Yisrael Street due to the riot, at which point the defendant attacked the door and tore off a part of the side mirror before he was able to drive away.
Another vehicle which arrived at the same street was also attacked by rioters, with the defendant reportedly kicking the back of the car several times while the driver was escaping.
As another driver approached the rioters, one man approached his vehicle to determine his ethnic origin was in fact Arabic. In the face of this, the man shouted at the rioters that an Arab was indeed, inside the vehicle.
The rioters then started throwing stones and various objects at the man's car, kicked and tried to open the car doors while he was traveling, all with the aim of harming him due to being an Arab.
In the face of this, he shouted at the rioters that an Arab was inside the vehicle. The rioters started throwing various stones and objects at the car, kicked and tried to open the car doors while he was traveling and all with the aim of harming him due to being an Arab.
The defendant hit the windshield of the vehicle and kicked the vehicle twice - with one of the kicks hitting the mirror on the driver's side - before the driver managed to escape from the scene.
As Hamed approached the vehicle, the defendant ran quickly towards the right side of the shuttle vehicle and kicked the mirror on the driver's side of the vehicle twice until it was ripped off completely.
At this point the rioters began to gather around Hamed's shuttle vehicle. Hamed, feeling distressed, started turning towards HaHoma HaShlishit Street in an attempt to escape the riot, at which point the defendant threw a stone through Hamed's windshield, smashing it completely.
The indictment further alleges that the defendant threw another stone at Hamed's rear window as he continued to chase the shuttle vehicle.
At this point, the defendant and the rioters began climbing onto Hamed's vehicle, while in the background the rioters shouted "Arab Arab," and "We will kill him".
At this point Hamed completed his turn and began driving on the direction of a one-way street, hitting multiple parked cars while attempting to escape the mob as they attacked him through the windshield and windows, throwing several rocks at him and attempting to enter the vehicle.
Hamed was eventually trapped at a dead end between cars driving in front of him and the mob which surrounded him, as the defendant tried to enter the passenger's seat.
After unsuccessfully trying to reverse into the crowd, Hamed decided to drive forward and crashed into the car in front of him, crushing Itamar Ben Abu, who had been crossing the street, with Ben Abu later dying of his wounds.
After the crash, the indictment claims that the defendant and other rioters entered Hamed's vehicle and began assaulting him physically before he was able to escape and call for help.
The prosecution asked the court to order the arrest of the defendant until the end of the proceedings against him.