A 24-year-old man was brutally attacked by two police officers as they went to arrest him on Friday night for not wearing a mask in public.
David Uriel Biton was beaten, punched and tasered by the two cops in Holon, a town just south of Tel Aviv, and had to receive hospital treatment before he was detained.
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Two police officers were caught on camera beating David Uriel Biton during his arrest for not wearing a mask
(Photo: Screenshot)
Police have opposed Biton's release and he was to appear before a judge on Monday to determine whether he must remain in custody.
The incident, which was captured on video that went viral, shows two uniformed police approaching the 24-year-old and asking him to show his ID.
Despite showing the officers his identification, the video shows Biton and the officers arguing, and the cops dragging him while his friend demands to know why violence is being used.
At that point and for no discernible reason, one of the policemen takes out his taser and fires it at the man.
Biton managed to utter "what's going on, man?" before he was tasered again while the second officer punched him repeatedly in the head.
At this point, the video shows Biton on the ground and groaning in pain.
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David Uriel Biton displays his wounds after being violently accosted by officers as they arrested him for not wearing a mask
(Photo: Courtesy )
Despite his friend's repeated pleas for the officers to stop, the two continued to use the taser until Biton also begged them to stop.
At one point Biton stumbles to his feet as his friend yells: "What have you done to him? He is covered in blood." The police then continued to use the taser.
At his arraignment, police claimed Biton refused to cooperate with the officers when he was stopped for not wearing a mask. They also claimed he had attacked a police. The judge ruled he must remain in detention overnight.
In a hearing on Saturday, however, the judge first instructed the police to release Biton in light of the serious injuries he sustained during his arrest, and the fact that he had no criminal record despite his violation of the mask-wearing regulation, an offense punishable by a fine.
But after an appeal by the police, Biton remained in custody and was to appear in court again only on Monday.
The Israel Police said the officers' conduct during the incident would be investigated.