Bus Driver Attacked After Refusing Free Ride to Teens Near Ramat Yishai

A violent incident erupted overnight between Saturday and Sunday, at the start of the high school summer break, near Ramat Yishai in northern Israel. Around 3:00 a.m., a bus driver on Route 75 refused to let several teenagers board without paying, as required, and a public transportation inspector was with him on the bus.

According to suspicion, the teens reacted by opening the bus’s external emergency valve and then throwing stones at the vehicle and at the driver and inspector, putting them in real danger. After the attack was reported, police from the Northern District arrived and began wide searches in the area.

Officers spotted a group of teens fleeing into an open area in the dark and chased them on foot for dozens of meters. Body-camera footage from the chase shows officers running through dark alleys and semi-wooded terrain with flashlights, shouting, "Come here! Come here, stop!" and reporting, "I'm closing in on a foot chase after two." One officer caught and subdued a suspect on the ground while other officers called for additional backup.

Police arrested three suspects, all 17-year-old minors from the area, and took them for questioning. After the interrogation, they were released under restrictive conditions, and the investigation is continuing. Police said they will not tolerate violence against public workers and vowed to use all available means to bring offenders to justice. They also issued an unusual appeal to parents to closely monitor their children during summer nights to prevent violence, vandalism and crime.