Wanted Palestinian Terrorist Falls to Death in Flight From Police

A Palestinian wanted on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack fell to his death from a rooftop late Monday night as he fled from police in the in the Kalandiya refugee camp late Sunday night, according to Israeli police.

A police spokeswoman said the man, indentified by Qalandiya residents as 19-year-old Mohammed Abu Latifa, ignored paramilitary police officers’ orders to halt and climbed onto a rooftop where police shot him in the lower body to stop him.

“Nonetheless, the wanted man continued fleeing, and when he tried to move to another roof, he tripped and fell, and was fatally injured as a result,” she said.

Qalandiya residents said Abu Latifa was a member of the Fatah political party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas but that they had no knowledge of him having any affiliation with armed factions within the party.

A Palestinian gave a conflicting account of how Abu Latifa died.

Shahdi Awad, who lives in a neighboring building and who said he saw the incident, told Reuters Abu Latifa was shot dead and had not fallen off the roof.

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said, “He (Awad) can say whatever he wants. Our account is what happened.”

This article appeared in print on page 1 of the July 28th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.