"Two teenagers are beating a little boy - maybe there's a knife": The incident in Netanya where a 15-year-old was arrested and claimed discrimination | Listen
A 100 emergency call reveals the moments leading up to the arrest of a 15-year-old boy in Netanya, who was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a 12-year-old. The teen claimed police arrested him because of his skin color, while police say he refused to identify himself. The video circulated online shows only part of the incident.
On Wednesday, a 100 emergency call was received from a citizen passing through the industrial area in Netanya who noticed a fight between teenagers near the Tapuz gas station. She reported that two teenagers were hitting a younger boy. She was afraid to approach and asked police to send a patrol car. Following the report, officers arrived at the scene. According to suspicion, a 15-year-old boy was involved in assaulting a 12-year-old. The teen claimed there was no assault and that the three were only "arguing jokingly." The officers asked the teens to identify themselves, and the 15-year-old refused to provide his ID number. According to police, the officers repeated the request and explained why identification was required, but he continued to refuse. At this point, a confrontation developed, the teen was arrested and taken to the police station for questioning, after which he was released. The arrest was recorded and circulated online. The video shows the teen confronting officers, cursing them, and claiming they targeted him because of his skin color: "There are two white guys here, you're only arresting me." He later told one officer: "Every week you catch another black guy." The video begins only after officers arrived and does not include the report that led to their dispatch. Police stated that the video "shows only a few seconds, after the officers arrived, omitting the report that led to their dispatch and the conduct preceding the arrest, thus creating a partial and misleading picture of the event." The incident occurred at the same location where another violent incident was recorded a week earlier, in which a knife was found on the clothing of a 14-year-old boy.