Criminal10/25/2026

Court Dismissed the Entire Indictment After Viewing the Policewoman’s Body-Camera Footage

The Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court allowed the police to withdraw the entire indictment against a 30-year-old woman from Ramat Gan who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Footage from the policewoman’s body camera played a decisive role, and after reviewing it, the defense argued that force may have been used during the arrest.

Key facts

•Court: Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court
•Arrest: Ramat Gan, 2023
•Camera footage: approximately seven minutes
•The indictment was dismissed in its entirety
•Two complaints were closed
•The case number and exact date of the decision were not stated

What Happened During the Arrest

The incident occurred in Ramat Gan in 2023, at around 3:00 a.m., after the woman, identified by the initial “A.,” arrived at the home of a man from whom she had separated. According to the prosecution’s account, she let the air out of two tires on his car, spray-painted graffiti on the vehicle, resisted police officers during her arrest, and damaged property. The defense argued that the woman repeatedly said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, asked that force not be used against her, and requested that an ambulance be called.

What the Body Camera Showed

Attorney Adar Attia of the Public Defender’s Office found approximately seven minutes of footage from the body camera of the policewoman who arrived at the scene. According to him, the recording shows the woman having difficulty breathing, vomiting, and asking that force not be used against her, while the policewoman insults her and then tells a colleague that she had “split her head open.” According to the defense’s account, after it drew the policewoman’s attention to the fact that the camera was recording, she expressed surprise and turned it off; exactly how the camera was activated was not determined.

Why the Indictment Was Dismissed

Initially, the prosecution was prepared to drop most of the charges, retain only the charge of damaging property, and conclude the case subject to certain conditions. The defense rejected this and demanded full dismissal. Following mediation, the police prosecution asked the Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court for permission to withdraw the indictment. The court granted the request and dismissed the case in its entirety; the source did not state the case number or the exact date of the decision.

What Became of the Complaints Against the Police Officers

The Department for Investigation of Police Officers announced that it had received two complaints from the woman, reviewed the materials collected, and closed both because no criminal offense had been found. The materials were referred to the police Public Complaints Unit to examine the conduct of the police officers involved. The police said that the allegations of the use of force had been examined and rejected, and therefore there was no need to take disciplinary action; the defense intends to file a new complaint.

What this means for you

Body-camera footage can significantly affect the examination of an arrest’s legality and the reliability of the accounts given by those involved. The full dismissal of the indictment in this case does not automatically constitute an acknowledgment that the police officers were at fault: both complaints were closed, and the police deny using force. Nevertheless, the materials were referred for a separate examination of the officers’ conduct.

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Case analysis based on court rulings