Israeli court acquits border police officer charged with killing autistic Palestinian man

By JULIA FRANKEL
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli court has acquitted a border police officer who was charged with reckless manslaughter in the deadly shooting of an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City three years ago. Jerusalem’s district court ruled Thursday that the officer was acting in self defense when he shot and killed 32-year old Eyad Hallaq. The case has drawn comparisons to the police killing of George Floyd in the United States. The court described the incident as a tragic mistake, noting that the policeman had made a split-second decision in a dangerous situation. Taking risks, it said, “is an integral part of military activity.”