'Terrorist yelled Allah Akhbar'
It
took four security officers to finally subdue terrorist on bulldozer
rampage in Jerusalem which left three civilians dead. Off-duty soldier
who helped officers is brother-in-law of army officer who took out
Mercaz Harav terrorist in March
The top brass of Jerusalem's police
forces gathered on Wednesday afternoon to review the security situation
in the Jerusalem following the deadly terror rampage
in the city's center earlier in the day. Three
Israelis
were killed and dozens more were wounded after a Palestinian
construction worker from east Jerusalem drove a massive bulldozer into
crowded traffic.
An initial inquiry into the event conducted by Jerusalem District
Police chief, Maj. Gen. Aharon Franco, determined that at least four
different security personnel attempted to subdue the terrorist before
he was finally shot and killed by a SWAT officer who jumped on the
tractor.
Two police officers stationed nearby saw the attack unfolding, the
female officer took out her sidearm and shot the terrorist. But though
she managed to wound him, he continued driving the large earthmover,
crushing oncoming traffic.
At this point Pvt. Moshe Plesser, an
off-duty soldier fresh out of basic training, rushed to the scene and
jumped on the tractor, also shooting the terrorist. But he kept going.
"He yelled Allah Akhbar and hit the gas," recounted Plesser, whose
brother-in-law, Cpt. David Shapira, took out the terrorist who killed
eight seminary students at the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in March.
"I did what is expected of any soldier or civilian," said Plesser.
Moments later a pair of SWAT officers managed to course through the chaos on a motorcycle.
"I moved to engage the tractor. The terrorist was acting like a
madman. He'd started hurtling towards Jaffa St., running over
pedestrians and cars as he went," said SWAT officer Eli Mizrachi.
"The civilian who was with me fired at him," he recounted, referring to Plesser.
Mizrachi then also jumped onto the tractor's stairs and shot the terrorist twice, killing him and ending the rampage.
Army force near house of the terrorist
