Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch met with Shahar Mizrahi, the Hadera detective convicted of manslaughter for shooting dead a car thief in 2006, who had his sentence doubled to 30 months by the Supreme Court last week.
Aharonovitch said he planned to proceed with a request for a pardon on behalf of Mizrahi, telling Mizrahi that he had already turned to President Simon Peres and Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman.
Aharonovitch also warned of the dangers posed to democracy by "a police force suffering from a lack of motivation."
"There is no disputing that all court decisions must be accepted, but at the same time this pardon is meant to express the feeling caused by the harsh message sent to police [by the Supreme Court]," he said.
Mizrahi told Aharonovitch of the disappointment felt by him and his family over the court's decision, and reiterated his claim that he acted in self defense.