High Court Hears Castleman Family Petition Over Police Handling of Death
The High Court heard a petition from the Castleman family demanding a criminal probe into police handling of the scene where Yuval Castleman was killed in 2023.
The High Court of Justice heard a petition on Monday filed by the family of the late Yuval Castleman against the State Attorney's Office, demanding a criminal investigation against the police officers who handled the scene of his death over suspected obstruction of justice.
Yuval Castleman was killed in November 2023 after charging at and neutralizing terrorists in a shooting attack in Jerusalem. He was shot dead by IDF reserve soldier Aviad Frija, despite having raised his hands and thrown away his weapon and coat.
During the hearing, Supreme Court Justice David Mintz severely criticized the police, stating: 'What we are saying is harsh, I do not usually speak this way. There is negligence here, criminal negligence and severe unprofessional conduct.'
However, despite the sharp criticism, Justice Mintz clarified that legally there is no gap justifying the High Court's intervention in the prosecution's decision to close the case against the police officers. Consequently, the court recommended that the Castleman family withdraw the petition, and the family members stepped out for consultations to reach a decision.
