Israel officers tase Palestinian while he’s cuffed to hospital bed

A 21-year-old Palestinian detainee in Israeli custody was tased by two Israeli officers last week while he was handcuffed to a hospital bed at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

The hospital authorities immediately filed a complaint with the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID), expressing their concern at the officers’ abuse against a defenceless detainee, reported the Times of Israel.

According to a letter sent yesterday from Israeli Health Minister, Moshe Arbel, to hospital staff and administrators, the doctors treating the suspect believed that he was not in control of his actions and was experiencing a psychotic episode.

After receiving sedatives, the Palestinian suspect from East Jerusalem calmed down.

However, just before the doctors could discharge him, the two officers accompanying him closed the curtains around the bed – to which both his hands and one leg were cuffed – and proceeded to tase him.

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A doctor present at the scene heard the sound of the electric shock and confirmed with the Israeli officers that they had tased the patient. The doctor said the use of violence was unnecessary since the suspect did not pose any threat to the doctors or the police and refused to discharge the patient until the two officers completed their shift to ensure the suspect’s safety.

Lawyer Nathaniel Lagami, from the Public Defender’s office, criticised Israel’s abuse of detainees, noting that he expects a thorough investigation “while making it clear that in the Israel Police, there is no place for violent behaviour by police officers.”

The Israeli officers deny the claims, saying “the suspect began to go berserk and tried to attack police officers who were accompanying him, causing harm to himself and medical equipment, even while he was handcuffed.”

It added, “The suspect poured a glass of water on the police officer guarding him, ranted, violently shook the bed, banged his head against the wall, tried to pull out his IV, hit an officer and threw a jar at him. After being warned several times, and in order to control him, a Taser was used on him.”