Mazan Shwiki, 50, an Arab truck driver from the Wadi Joz neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem, was documented on video Thursday morning as an Israeli policeman turned a loud argument with him into a series of blows and headbutts.
“He put one hand on his weapon, I was afraid he would shoot me,” said Shwiki, father of five who works at the Ashdod harbor.
Shwiki told Walla that on Tuesday he hit the cop’s car while parking at a lot near the Interior Ministry office in Wadi Joz. “I waited more than an hour by the car, for someone to come so I can give them my information,” he recalled, “No one showed, so I said, enough, there are cameras here, there’s everything, my truck is parked. I left the truck and went home.”
When he showed up, ready to drive his truck to Haifa, the hit car was gone. Shortly thereafter, the policeman who presumably owns the car showed up, and an argument ensued which resulted in the cop beating the 50-year-old driver. Later, as several locals tried to intervene, the same cop started beating them as well, and threatening violence against them.
The video ends at the moment a second policeman showed up at the scene.
Police internal affairs began an investigation.
The Jerusalem Police Spokesperson’s Office issued a statement saying, “This is a serious and unusual behavior which does not meet the standards of behavior expected of the district’s policemen.”
according to the statement, “as soon as the video clip was received, the policeman was sent on an immediate forced vacation and will be invited to a hearing regarding his continued service in police uniform.”
MK Ahmad Tibi (Joint Arab List) called on Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich, Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan, and Minister of the Interior Aryeh Deri to immediately arrest and indict the offending officer, as well as the two other officers who joined the “orgy of blows.”
