Sunday, August 12, 2007
YNet has surveillance video of an incident that took place Friday in the Old City where an Israeli-Arab attacker grabbed a pistol from the holster of one of two security guards who then gave chase resulting in a gun fight. The action was caught on cameras that are scattered throughout the Old City. The snatch of the gun isn't quite on camera and the action jumps as the foot chase goes. You can see two security guards -- call them green shirt and white shirt. The attacker follows them for awhile, and when he gets the chance, he grabs the gun from green shirt's holster and bolts. Both guards give chase. They catch up, and attacker turns to fire gun on green shirt who wrestles for the weapon, with white shirt farther back angling for a shot. Attacker appears to get away (not shown on video -- green shirt shot?), but white shirt catches up and a gun fight erupts.
Video and news: Surveillance video of J'lem shooting
Khatib grabbed a weapon from a guard of the Ateret Kohanim yeshiva and then set off through the Old City's street shooting back wildly at another yeshiva guard who pursued him. Ten bystanders and one of the guards were injured in the crossfire before the shooter was killed.
When the incident was first broadcast, some witnesses claimed that the guard had shot and killed Khatib once he was already down. This allegation was later repeated by Arab Knesset member Ahmed Tibi, but as can be seen, is not evident from the video.
Khatib's acquaintances and relatives of the shooter expressed disbelief that he had been involved in the incident at all, saying he "was a quiet and introverted person… simply a person who is incapable of doing such a thing".
Some acquaintances went as far as to say that incident was made up by the two security guards in order to avoid murder charges, claiming that "there is no evidence" that Khatib had tried to snatch the gun and that the incident constituted "first-degree murder" in which the man was "killed for nothing".
Meanwhile, over the weekend, three Palestinian organizations – the military wings of Fatah, the Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – claimed responsibility for the attempted terror attack which they referred to as "a military operation" in Jerusalem...
Update: Here's the YouTube version from the Jerusalem Post (better than the version at YNet above):
Update: Shooter's father claims videos of shooting doctored
"Today there's no problem to edit tapes however you want," he said during a memorial for his son.
It also shows him quite clearly following the two guards for some time, then quite clearly snatching the gun -- he braces against the guard's back with his left hand and pulls the gun out of the holster with his right. I'm told "green shirt" took two bullets in the altercation.
A thousand participants 'demand justice' at Khatib's memorial service. Looks like justice has already been served. Also looks like some people are trying to stir up trouble and play the victim card.
Update: An Israeli Arab group is claiming responsibility, but authorities aren't buying it.
Ateret Cohanim is a notorious bunch of thugs, and I'd figured this shooting was an escalation of something that had already happened. The guards obviously aren't yeshiva students, though, and looking at how far Khatib stalked them, maybe not.
They certainly handled it well once it happened. I'm amazed there weren't more injuries.