Israeli diplomat’s crying son, 19, ‘intentionally’ ran over Florida cop with motorcycle, may avoid charges due to dad’s immunity: lawyer
The teenage son of an Israeli diplomat is accused of intentionally driving his motorcycle into a Florida cop because he “hates waiting behind traffic,” but could have his charges dropped because of his father’s immunity, according to his attorney.
Avraham Gil, 19, appeared to be hysterically crying in his mugshot after he was arrested for striking a Sunny Isles Beach police lieutenant just after 3:30 p.m. Jan. 27.
The lieutenant was conducting a traffic stop on Collins Avenue, one of the main roadways on the Miami barrier island, when he saw Gil weaving through traffic and yelled at the teen to stop, according to WPLG.
As the cop motioned for Gil to stop, the teen reportedly continued to ride and “intentionally ran him over.”
The officer sustained an “incapacitating” injury to his left leg, but grabbed Gil off his bike and brought him to the ground, according to the outlet.
Gil, who lives in Aventura, was charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence, both felonies, according to court records viewed by The Post.
Gil’s father, Eli Gil, is the consul for administration at the Israeli Consulate in Miami.
Gil told officers he was weaving through the vehicles because he “hates waiting behind traffic,” according to the Miami New Times, citing a police report.
Because of his father’s diplomatic status, Avraham Gil’s lawyers argue that the teen’s charges should be dropped as they claim Miami-Dade law doesn’t apply to him.
“Family members forming part of the household of diplomatic agents enjoy precisely the same privileges and immunities as do the sponsoring diplomatic agents,” according to the US State Department’s “Diplomatic and Consular Immunity.”
Among the privileges that agents receive is complete immunity from the criminal jurisdiction of the host country’s courts, and they can’t be prosecuted no matter the offense unless the immunity is “waived by the sending state.”
However, according to a legal analyst, immunity may not extend to Gil because of the type of diplomat his father is.
“Diplomatic immunity is not given to people who are called consular officials, and those are people who are not the head diplomatic agent of a foreign country here in the United States, so there is a distinction,” David Weinstein told Local 10.
Saturday’s arrest is not the first time Gil interacted with law enforcement in the Miami area.
He was involved in at least two other run-ins with the law, including at one point fleeing police when they attempted to pull him and his bike over.
In newly released bodycam footage, a cop put his lights on on Jan. 14 to pull over a motorcyclist, who was believed to be Gil. The biker took off and the police officer didn’t pursue him, because Miami Shores policy is to not chase anyone for traffic violations, according to the outlet.
Gil was also stopped on Dec. 31 in Miami Shores for several traffic offenses and told the officer his father was a diplomat for Israel, which led to a phone call to his parents.
During the New Year’s Eve stop, Gil’s motorcycle featured a vanity plate that read “PLS CHASE,” which was hidden by a second plate that flipped up.
The officer who was allegedly run over by Gil remains out of work because of his injuries.
Following his arrest, the “immune” teenager was captured sobbing in his mug shot taken over the weekend before showing no emotion during his initial court appearance.
A hearing is scheduled for the morning of February 26.
