Beersheba man in isolation arrested for threatening suicide, held in car

Police had received word that the man, who was in isolation after coming in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, was threatening to blow up gas-filled balloons in his apartment.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israel Police vehicle (Illustrative) (photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
Israel Police vehicle (Illustrative)
(photo credit: ISRAEL POLICE)
A Beersheba man in isolation for coronavirus exposure was arrested after threatening to commit suicide on Friday, claiming that he had been held in a police car for hours near the police station, Ynet reported.
Police had received word that the man, who was in isolation after coming in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 patient, was threatening to commit suicide by blowing up gas-filled balloons in his apartment, which would destroy the entire building. Police stated that the threats were posted on Facebook, where he said that he had two gas-filled balloons that he would blow up.
According to police transcripts viewed by Ynet, this was the fourth time the man had made such a threat, leaving law enforcement no choice but to take him into custody, after they had evacuated the building and cut off its electricity and gas.
He was briefly taken into the hospital, and was then left in the car due to issues with his health and the risk of coronavirus. The police claimed that they took care of his needs during this time, including providing food.
He is currently being charged with making threats, reckless use of flammable material and violating public safety, the Israeli news outlet reported.
The man apologized and said he made the threats after drinking alcohol, and due to his poor mental health and a lack of treatment.
The case was handed over to the Beersheba Magistrate's Court, which released him to house arrest.
The man's attorney criticized the police for keeping him in a car, due to his medical condition.
"On Friday at 8:30 p.m., he was arrested, and only on Saturday around 6:00 p.m. was he transferred to solitary confinement in prison," his attorney said, according to Ynet. "He was held handcuffed to his feet in the car until he was transferred" to the prison.
The attorney added that the man was sick with heart issues and pneumonia, and used an oxygen-filled balloon to breathe.
While he was confined in the car, the attorney claimed the man's balloon ran out of oxygen, but that he did not receive a new one until he was transferred to the prison the next day.
The attorney claimed that this was a significant infringement of his client's rights, regardless of the extenuating circumstances.
"The Police's claim that he was provided with food and taken to the bathroom is no easy explanation, because once a person is in police custody, it is in any case their sole responsibility and duty to provide him with food and access to the bathroom."
The case shines a spotlight on the question of how police should handle arresting individuals in self-isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic in a way that does not infringe upon their rights.


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