Bereaved Father Files Complaint Against Police Over Violent Arrest

Yaniv Prizat, a bereaved father who was violently arrested by police officers, filed an official complaint this morning (Monday) with the Police Internal Investigations Department against the officers involved in his detention. According to his claims, disproportionate force was used during the arrest, resulting in injuries to his body and face. The footage of the violent arrest was broadcast by Tziona Desta on the main news edition last Thursday.

The complaint is supported by real-time video footage and medical documentation from the complainant's visit to a trauma emergency room on the same day, explained his attorney, Nir Yaslovitch, in the filed complaint. According to the legal team, last week during a routine drive with his father, Prizat received a traffic ticket—after which the situation escalated.

Traffic Dispute and Recording

• Prizat believed that temporary traffic arrangements at the site—including construction, blockades, and lane changes—were the cause of the situation for which he was ticketed.

• He began filming the scene and the traffic arrangements with his mobile phone to preserve objective evidence of the road conditions in order to contest the ticket.

• According to his attorney, he stood upon his right to document the location. However, a female police officer informed him that he was under arrest for disobeying a police officer's order.

"To the best of what appears from the filmed documentation, no detention preceded this, no grounds for detention were communicated to the complainant, and it was not clarified to him under what authority he was forbidden to film the location," the complaint states.

Details of the Violent Arrest

The complaint details the use of force against Prizat: an officer who arrived at the scene grabbed Prizat brutally and, without any reason, slammed him to the ground. The complainant's head was pressed against the road surface, and the officer placed his foot near the complainant's head to pin it to the asphalt, which was blazing hot from the sun. He described suffering a strong blow to his head upon hitting the pavement, and feeling kicks to his head while lying on the ground.

According to the complaint, during the arrest Prizat's pants were pulled down or slipped off, leaving him in his underwear only. Despite this, the complainant was led away from the scene handcuffed in full view of all bystanders in a crowded public place, clad only in his underwear, humiliated, and degraded.

Prizat is a bereaved father who lost his son Itai in the Swords of Iron war less than two years ago.

In response to the arrest footage, the Israel Police stated: "This is footage presenting a partial picture of a driver who was arrested as part of enforcement activity after committing a traffic offense. Officers who arrived at the scene were required to use force to carry out the arrest, and the incident is under investigation."