Police Officer Arrested After Shooting Mentally Ill Man in Umm al-Fahm

The Police Internal Investigations Department (Mahash) is investigating the fatal shooting of a resident of Umm al-Fahm, Ala'a Mahamid, who allegedly attacked officers after a chase on Thursday. Mahamid's family stated he suffered from mental illness and had previously been hospitalized at the Sha'ar Menashe Mental Health Center. According to suspicions, Mahamid, after initially being apprehended and handcuffed, managed to get into his vehicle and escape. Border Police officers and police pursued him. After he was apprehended a second time, he is suspected of attacking the officers. A medical team pronounced him dead at the scene.

Mahash investigators arrived at the scene and began an investigation. The officer identified as the shooter was questioned under caution for causing the suspect's death. Following his interrogation, the officer was released to house arrest for five days, banned from police stations for two weeks, and banned from Umm al-Fahm for 30 days.

Police reported that motorcycle officers from the Border Police's tactical unit noticed a suspicious vehicle on Route 65 near Umm al-Fahm. The driver, later identified as Mahamid, did not respond to calls to stop and fled. Police stated that during the arrest attempt, the suspect behaved in a manner that aroused the officers' suspicion while still in his vehicle. When an officer approached the car, the suspect exited, allegedly lunged at the officer, and began to attack him. The officer, fearing for his life, fired at the suspect, hitting him.