Israeli serviceman charged with shooting at Palestinian couple’s car — Jerusalem Post
In Israel, the Jerusalem District Prosecutor’s Office has charged 37-year-old Pinhas Shem Tov Ran with shooting at the car of a Palestinian couple in the West Bank. An 18-year-old passenger was seriously injured in the incident. This was reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Prosecution’s version
Ran serves as a security coordinator in the Gidonim Ridge area. He is charged with aggravated assault with intent to cause serious bodily harm and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors are also asking the court to keep him in custody until the proceedings are completed.
According to the indictment, on September 18, Ran arrived in the village of Aqraba in an SUV together with a career soldier, although the village was outside his area of responsibility. Prosecutors say military commanders had previously repeatedly warned him not to act outside his designated territory and to comply with the rules for the use of weapons.
According to investigators, Ran stopped passersby and checked their documents without legal authority. He later ordered a car carrying a couple to stop. The driver, according to the indictment, feared violence after realizing that the people in the SUV were not military personnel and that one of them was wearing a mask, after which he accelerated.
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Injury and the defense’s position
Investigators believe that Ran fired at least three times toward the departing car. Two bullets struck the vehicle, and one of them injured the passenger: the bullet pierced her lung and stopped near her heart. The victim was hospitalized in serious condition and underwent surgery to remove the bullets, after which she remained in hospital for several days.
The indictment also states that after the shooting, Ran returned to the scene and searched for spent shell casings. Later, according to investigators, he denied to security personnel that he knew about the incident or had been at the scene.
Ran’s defense, represented by the Honenu organization, insists on a different version. According to the defendant, a car without license plates allegedly drove toward him and an officer who was nearby, and they perceived it as an attempt to run them over. Ran claims that he fired into the air while trying to stop the car. The investigation was conducted by the central unit of the Judea and Samaria District Police and the Shin Bet security service.
