No Criminal Charges Against Police in Bicycle Incident

The two Border Policemen involved in the confiscation of a bicycle from an eight-year-old Palestinian girl in Chevron last month will face disciplinary action but no criminal charges.

The officers were suspended from duty after a B’Tselem video of the incident surfaced showing one of them tossing the bicycle into some bushes after the girl ran away crying. The incident garnered a great deal of media attention, and the Border Police officials assured the public that they were taking the matter seriously and launching an immediate investigation.
On Monday, the police investigatory unit issued a statement that said that the police officers would be cited for improper and unprofessional conduct, but “in light of the balance of the circumstances surrounding the event,” there would be no criminal prosecution.

The police did not physically harm the girl, and typically, no criminal charges are brought unless the police have inflicted some physical harm.