Police Chief Kobi Shabtai is leaning towards removing the police officer who killed Solomon Tekah, a young Ethiopian man who was shot over a year ago, from active service and having him moved to the Fire and Rescue Services.Shabtai visited Tekah's family on Friday ahead of the planned return of the police officer who shot him to active service and, after hearing from the family, considered changing his mind about the officer.
Dedi Simchi, Fire and Rescue Services head, said that he would accept the police officer into his ranks out of "a national sense of responsibility."
The police officer will serve as a coordination officer for the Fire and Rescue Services until his trial is over.
The officer was informed on Thursday that his suspension is cancelled and that he is expected to resume his service.Ethiopian-Israeli activists said in response to the news that they will not accept such a restoration, and their protest will be loud and clear, "heard across the country."
The 2019 killing of Tekah led to wide-spread protests across the country as members of the Ethiopian community in Israel claimed police officers over-police them and that they are the victims of police violence and prejudice.The officer claimed he was threatened by Tekah and fired his pistol into the ground as a warning shot, which would make Tekah’s death an accident seeing as the bullet allegedly ricocheted from the ground and struck the young man.Tekah’s family and friends claim that this version of events is unlikely. National Zionist party head Bezalel Smotrich expressed his joy at the potential decision to remove the police officer from his role, saying, "Police must do all it can to rebuild the trust between the police and this community, and it must start first and foremost with open conversation and transparency."Deputy Interior Security Minister Gadi Yevarkan, who was at the meeting, tweeted on Friday that he thanks the Chief of Police for "working with me hand in hand to solve this issue with a clear understanding of the importance of this hour and accepted my recommendation to remove the officer from serving in the police."Shabtai paid a visit to the officer and his family members on Friday to inform him in person about this decision."I know that you and your family members are going through a difficult and complex time since this tragic incident," he told them.The decision to move the officer to Fire and Rescue Services was only taken once the police had received the officer's consent.