Israel Police issued a sharp denial on Wednesday in response to a report by journalist Liran Tamari, who claimed that Jerusalem police ignored a judge’s refusal to authorize a suspect’s arrest and instead carried out an unlawful detention. Tamari wrote that the judge later called the detention a “false arrest” and awarded the detainee 620 shekels in compensation.
In its response, police said the report was “wrong and biased” and accused Tamari of presenting “a complete distortion of reality.” The force said the incident had already been disclosed publicly on Friday and that the report omitted what it described as the serious criminal background of the case. According to police, the suspect fled while being detained, drove into and injured two police volunteers, rammed police vehicles, broke through barriers, and endangered road users, forcing officers to open fire to stop him.
Police said the suspect was being investigated for drug dealing and was found with illegal drugs in quantities not intended for personal use. In the official account, officers from the Jerusalem and Shai districts stopped the suspect’s vehicle near the HaKerem junction, where he refused instructions, got back into the car, and escaped after injuring the volunteers. Forces then set up roadblocks, but he allegedly broke through two checkpoints, rammed patrol cars, and continued to pose what police called an immediate danger.
The police said the vehicle was eventually stopped by gunfire, the suspect was arrested and evacuated to hospital in moderate to serious condition, and the investigation is continuing. In a second statement, police said Tamari had once again distorted events and attacked officers and volunteers who were acting to protect the public, calling on him to report responsibly and not use his platform for “complete fake news.”
