Israeli Police Under Scrutiny for Shooting Knife-Wielding Assailants (3 videos)

[Fred Sanders]

http://observers.france24.com/en/20151014-israeli-police-shootings-knife-stabbings


WEST BANK 10/14/2015
Israeli police under scrutiny for shooting knife-wielding assailants

In the last few weeks, Israeli security forces haven't hesitated to use live rounds to take down multiple knife-wielding assailants, with numerous such cases captured on amateur videos and uploaded to social media networks.

When these videos have been published, the Israeli authorities’ response has always been the same: “If the assailant doesn’t obey the police’s orders to drop the knife, they are authorised to shoot him,” says Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. “And if police officers believe their lives or the lives of civilians are in danger, it is absolutely necessary for them to shoot the attacker, at the risk of killing him.”

So is the use of live ammunition justified? We took a close look at three cases, and asked the opinion of a French security consultant who has worked with the French authorities.

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IMAGES MAY DISTURB VIEWERS