Police: Jewish man wielding 2 knives shot dead by officers in Bat Yam

According to police, on Saturday afternoon they were called to the scene of a brawl between a number of suspects in their 30s that began on Yitzhak Sadeh Street.

By BEN HARTMAN
A POLICE vehicle is targeted by Arab rioters. (photo credit: REUTERS)
A POLICE vehicle is targeted by Arab rioters.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
A Jewish man police said was carrying two knives and threatening a police officer and a civilian was shot by the officer in Bat Yam and died hours later at Wolfson Hospital.
According to police, on Saturday afternoon they were called to the scene of a brawl between a number of suspects in their 30s that began on Yitzhak Sadeh Street and then continued onto nearby Barzilay Street.
In a statement on Saturday evening, Tel Aviv police said that officers who arrived at the scene approached one of the wounded men and while they were speaking to him, a man holding two knives “with a threatening look on his face” began to run towards the police. They said that the officer felt his life was in danger and ordered the man to drop the knives and that when he refused, the police officer shot the 34-year-old man.
Police said they have set up a special investigative team to determine the background of the fight.
Ayalon subdistrict commander Natan Bozana said Saturday night that “it is the obligation of every police officer to protect civilians and in particular when there is a deadly threat to their life or that of the police officer.”
Nonetheless, the incident will now be investigated by the Justice Ministry’s Police Investigative Division, to determine whether or not there was any wrongdoing on the part of the officer who shot the man.
Following the shooting, a second suspect was taken to Wolfson Hospital with serious injuries suffered in the brawl.