New clip of Hebron shooting tells a different story

Unedited video of incident in which female Border Police officer killed a 17-yr-old Palestinian brings new details to light.

By BEN HARTMAN
Site of Hebron shooting 370 (photo credit: TOVAH LAZAORFF)
Site of Hebron shooting 370
(photo credit: TOVAH LAZAORFF)
A longer, unedited video of the fatal shooting of a Hebron teen by a female Border Police officer was released on Thursday night, and it appears it may contradict the official police account of the December 12 incident.
Uploaded to YouTube by Channel 10 reporter Roy Sharon on Thursday night, the 1:08 minute video is uncut and appears to show that the third and final shot fired at 17-yearold Muhammad al-Salaymeh was fired after his back was turned to the officers and he was hunched over a few meters away, walking away from the police checkpoint.
As with the original video, it is hard to tell exactly what is taking place. The video is shot from above and is dark and grainy. It shows a few flashes coming from what is apparently the service rifle of Border Police officer “N.,” who shot and killed Salaymeh. During the final flash, Salaymeh appears to be leaving the scene.
Near the beginning of the video, Salaymeh walks slowly up to the post and speaks to one of the officers, before appearing to show him his ID.
He then slowly walks away, before turning to face an officer behind him, and then quickly placing his right hand against the officer’s temple and striking him hard with his right fist. The two then fall back, begin struggling and tumble off to the right, before N. emerges on the scene with her rifle.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post shortly after the shooting, N. said that when her fellow officer was attacked she got into position, found a clear line of fire and then quickly let off three rounds. In the longer version of the video, it is clear that the final shot was separated from the first two by a few seconds, and that Salaymeh had moved away by then.
Even in the new, uncut video it is hard to tell if Salaymeh was holding a fake metal gun as the Border Police say, though he does appear to be holding a shiny object in his right hand.
Following the incident, the Border Police released an image of what they said was the toy gun Salaymeh pulled.
Salaymeh was celebrating his birthday on the day when he died. His family claims that he was heading out to buy a birthday cake and did not pull a fake gun on the soldiers. The day after his death, Palestinians clashed with soldiers and Border Police officers for hours across the West Bank.