The State Attorney's Office filed a serious indictment with the District Court today (Thursday) against Ben Nissim Miara, 34, of Kiryat Motzkin, accusing him of attempted murder of two police officers by setting them on fire and of violent and property crimes.
According to the indictment, filed by Attorney Alia Najem of the Haifa District Attorney's Office, the defendant went on a rampage in his apartment building in Kiryat Motzkin because he suspected that strangers were hanging around there. He blocked the path of one of the residents, prevented him from leaving the building, photographed him against his will, and threatened him with a knife he took out of his pocket.
The defendant subsequently repeatedly called the emergency hotlines of MDA, the Israel Police, and the Fire and Rescue Department, reporting unusual events in the building. When he was not satisfied with the response he received, he decided to escalate his actions in order to attract the attention of the police.
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The defendant arrived at a gas station in Kiryat Bialik, purchased two water bottles, emptied their contents and asked to fill them with gasoline. When refused by a station employee, he began to rage, yell at the employees and demanded that they call the police. He then approached a customer's car that was parked there, pulled out the gas pump and filled one of the bottles with gasoline without her consent.
He then left the place with the gasoline, without paying for it.
The defendant returned to his apartment building, called the police station again, and threatened to commit suicide with the gasoline he had in his possession. Police officers who were called to the scene tried to calm him down and convince him to put down the bottle and lighter he was holding.
At one point, when two of the police officers tried to take control of him, the defendant poured the flammable substance on their bodies and set them on fire.
As a result of his actions, one of the police officers was seriously injured and suffered burns on approximately 101% of his body surface. He was rushed to Rambam Hospital under anesthesia and on a ventilator and is expected to undergo a lengthy rehabilitation process.
Another police officer suffered second-degree burns, and a third police officer was hit in the head with a telescopic baton by the defendant during the defendant's escape attempt - and required medical treatment. After a struggle, he was arrested by additional police forces who were called to the scene.
A search of his body yielded a knife and a dangerous drug, cocaine, weighing over 3 grams, not for his own consumption.
The indictment charges the defendant with attempted murder, arson, aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a police officer, aggravated injury, obstructing a police officer in the performance of his duty, unlawful possession of a knife, threats, theft, malicious damage, and possession of a dangerous drug not for personal consumption.
