East J’lem Suspect Torches, Damages Cars In Neve Yaakov While Shouting Allahu Akhbar, Police Shoot Him

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In what police have deemed a nationalistically-motivated act of vandalism, a resident of one of Jerusalem’s Arab neighborhoods was shot Sunday night after he shouted, “Allahu Akhbar,” set fire to some vehicles and damaged several others.

The suspect, in his 20s, carried out his acts of violence and arson in the Jewish neighborhood of Neve Yaakov, where a terrorist recently murdered 7 people in a Friday night attack. The man held in his hand an object which was not identified by the police officers who arrived at the scene, and wore a coat. The police officers asked that he remove his coat, but he refused, and after he aroused their suspicions, they fired at him, injuring him.

“Towards morning, police received a report regarding a person who was damaging numerous vehicles in the neighborhood of Neve Yaakov in Jerusalem,” a police statement read. “Police officers called to the scene identified the suspect, who was wearing a coat and who held some object in his hand. Parallel to their meeting him, an explosion was heard from a vehicle at the scene, which later was discovered to be, as we believe, the vehicle he set fire to.”

“The officers began an arrest protocol and asked the suspect to take off his coat, but the suspect didn’t respond to their calls. At some point, the suspect began to say, ‘Allahu Akhbar,’ and other verses, and the police fired a single bullet towards him.

“The suspect suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital for medical treatment. Police forces arrived at the scene, and searches revealed a burnt vehicle and at least ten additional vehicles which the suspect damaged.”

It is believed that the arson and vandalism were conducted out of nationalist motives, and  police have opened an investigation into the incident.