Protest outside Police HQ
Protest outside Police HQYonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Eight protestors were arrested on Tuesday evening during a demonstration of members of the Ethiopian community and other supporters, outside the Police Department’s National Headquarters in Jerusalem.

The police announced that some of the protestors rioted, blocked roads and threw bottles at police officers on site.

The demonstration was held in light of the state prosecution’s decision to close the criminal case against a police officer who used a Taser gun against Yosef Salmasa and then left the injured 23-year-old of Ethiopian descent to his own devices, outside the police precinct.

The Police Investigation Unit’s concluded that the police officers who used the Taser gun against Salmasa lied in police reports filled out following the event. It was nevertheless decided that the event would be dealt with during a disciplinary hearing, and that the officers involved would not be brought up on criminal charges.

It was additionally decided that it would not be recommended that any legal actions be taken against the officers who left Salmasa injured outside the police precinct.

Several months after the horrific event, Salmasa ended his life. The circumstances surrounding the event remain unclear. The investigative case regarding Salmasa’s treatment by the police officers was closed, only to be reopened following his suicide, once the event was made public by the media.