Remand extended for Dutch tourist shot by police

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court ruled on Sunday to extend for the second time the remand of a Dutch national whom police shot during an incident in Bat Yam last week.

Bo Schimmelpfennig, 32, remains in a coma in Holon’s Wolfson Hospital after the shooting on April 9. Judge Limor Margolin-Yehidi ordered his detention to be extended for a further two days.

Police allege Schimmelpfennig attacked them after a family he was staying with in Bat Yam called them complaining the Dutch tourist threatened to kill Jews.

Schimmelpfennig is suspected of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, disturbing and obstructing a police officer, threats and disorderly conduct.

A day after the incident, the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court refused to extend Schimmelpfennig’s detention because police failed to file any official report from the incident. However, on April 11, the court ruled again to remand Schimmelpfennig in custody until Sunday.

In Sunday’s hearing, a police representative said Schimmelpfennig tried to harm police officers called to the Bat Yam house, and noted that police had filed evidence to the court from everyone who attended the event, including Magen David Adom crews and police officers.

The police representative said it was “hard to contain” Schimmelpfennig, who reportedly used unreasonable force.

“The suspicious behavior led to the shooting that occurred,” the police representative said.

However, Schimmelpfennig’s attorney, Shay Tovim, told the court that the Dutch tourist has no history of violence and that he had been a lone tourist in Israel. Tovim noted that he had spoken to Schimmelpfennig’s brother, Benjamin, who has since traveled to Israel to monitor the case.

Tovim said there had been a “lack of proportion” between the events of the incident and the police response, which could have cost Schimmelpfennig his life.

On April 11, the court ordered the Dutch national to undergo a preliminary psychiatric observation, however that has not been done because Schimmelpfennig is still unconscious, the court learned.

Judge Margolin-Yehidi said that after examining the evidence, she found there is reasonable suspicion against Schimmelpfennig and therefore grounds to continue his arrest, however she agreed with Schimmelpfennig’s defense that he should not be remanded for five more days, as police requested.

The court said that the police investigation of Schimmelpfennig will be carried out in the presence of a Dutch interpreter.