Investigation Continues Into Fatal Shooting in Lod Amid Questions Over Terrorism or Mental Health Incident
A week after Sami Ben Ahmad Jaesus was fatally shot by a Border Police officer in Lod, Israeli police and the Shin Bet have yet to conclude whether the incident was a terrorist attack or a criminal event. Initially, police claimed Jaesus, who was reportedly armed with a knife, attempted to stab an officer, but they later stated all investigative angles remain open. Medical documents obtained by Walla reveal a complex background involving bureaucratic failures, as Jaesus was known to mental health services and had recently left a psychiatric hospital without his prescribed medication.
Jaesus, a resident of Lod, had been hospitalized in a closed psychiatric ward four months prior and was discharged after a few days. Five days before the shooting, he attended day treatment but left the hospital to smoke before receiving his medication. He then walked for three hours from Be’er Ya’akov to Lod. His family reported him missing after the hospital informed them of his disappearance. During those five days, he was seen wandering Lod and eventually took shelter overnight in a relative’s vegetable store.
On the morning of the shooting, Border Police arrived to demolish a structure nearby. Jaesus allegedly became frightened, armed himself with a knife, and confronted the officers. Police say he fled and then charged at the officers, prompting one to shoot him. Jaesus died from his wounds en route to the hospital. His family disputes the police version, claiming the officers initiated the confrontation and that less lethal means could have been used. Dr. Salem, Jaesus’s treating psychiatrist and brother-in-law, criticized the police for shooting to kill rather than incapacitating him, emphasizing Jaesus’s schizophrenia and mental health condition.
The family also condemns systemic failures, including the psychiatric hospital’s decision to allow Jaesus to leave unsupervised without medication. Medical records show he had stopped taking his medication and used cannabis. Despite concerns, he was not involuntarily hospitalized. After the shooting, Shin Bet officials reviewed his medical background and apologized to the family, though this did not alleviate their grief.
Compounding the family’s distress is the delay in releasing Jaesus’s body for burial. Despite the autopsy concluding days ago, authorities have imposed numerous restrictions on the funeral, including timing, attendance limits, and location of prayers, which conflict with religious customs. Dr. Salem questions why Jaesus is being labeled a terrorist given his mental illness and calls for the family to be allowed to bury him promptly. The Ministry of Health clarified that psychiatric hospitals are not detention centers and patients not under compulsory hospitalization have the right to leave. Police reiterated the investigation is ongoing and no conclusions have been reached regarding the motive behind the stabbing attempt.
