The civilians who saved the lives of countless civilians Tuesday, when they shot an Arab terrorist who had already stabbed six people, are having trouble getting their weapons back from the police.
4 Israelis Dead, 2 Wounded After Ram-and-Stab Terror Attack in Be’er Sheva
Although one of the civilians, a bus driver, repeatedly urged the terrorist to drop the weapon, 34-year-old Muhammad Aleb Ahmad Abu Alkyan — a convicted terrorist supporter of ISIS — flatly refused, and instead lunged at the bus driver.
At that point, the bus driver said, he had no choice but to pull the trigger in his own defense — as did a second armed civilian also at the scene. The second civilian fired multiple shots at the terrorist.
Israel Police confiscated both their gun for “ballistics tests” but the second civilian is demanding his back, as he lives in a settlement in the Har Hebron area, and his name and face have been publicized, which puts him in danger from other terrorists.
According to the Honenu civil rights organization, and as can be seen on a video that has been released on social media, the second civilian refused to leave the police station without his weapon. In response, the police threatened to detain him.
Police reportedly also told him to go hire a private security guard if he felt endangered.
“Following the police’s refusal to return his weapon to the shooter and his security, the police are now demanding that he leave the station and threaten to detain him,” said Honenu attorney Adi Keidar.
In past similar cases, police have been known to keep personal weapons for weeks at a time after a civilian has fired the gun in self-defense.
After the public outrage and bad press from the story going public, Ministers Ayelet Shaked and Yoaz Hendel have demanded the police return the gun to the civilians.
Update: The police just released a statement that they will be running the ballistic tests tonight and returning the weapons they confiscated.
