Shai Dromi
Encyclopedia
Shai Dromi is an Israeli
farmer
who, in an act of self-defense
, shot and killed a trespass
er and wounded another on 13 January 2007 at 3am after discovering his dog had been poisoned, allegedly by four intruders. On 15 July 2009, he was acquitted of manslaughter
but convicted on charges of illegal possession of weapons. The rifle he had used belonged to his father and not registered in Dromi's name.
Dromi's farm is near Meitar
in southern Israel
, an area plagued by property theft. In the months leading up to the incident, several other dogs had been killed and a tractor and horse stolen.
Dromi testified at his trial:
When police arrived, Dromi was administering first aid
to the intruder, a Bedouin
, Khaled el-Atrash, who later died. Dromi was arrested and imprisoned for a month and later restrained from returning to his farm afterwards requiring volunteers to continue its maintenance.
A public uproar drew much attention to Dromi's plight and a law was proposed by Member of Knesset
Yisrael Katz
and later passed by a large majority in the Knesset. The law, commonly known as the 'Dromi Law', considers opposition to intruders as self-defence.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
who, in an act of self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
, shot and killed a trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
er and wounded another on 13 January 2007 at 3am after discovering his dog had been poisoned, allegedly by four intruders. On 15 July 2009, he was acquitted of manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
but convicted on charges of illegal possession of weapons. The rifle he had used belonged to his father and not registered in Dromi's name.
Dromi's farm is near Meitar
Meitar
Meitar is a small local council north-east of Beersheba, in Israel's Southern District. The town lies on Highway 60 just south of the Green Line on the southern edge of Mount Hebron, alongside the Yatir Forest. Meitar was founded in 1984....
in southern Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, an area plagued by property theft. In the months leading up to the incident, several other dogs had been killed and a tractor and horse stolen.
Dromi testified at his trial:
“I awoke at 3 AM to the barking of the guard dog that I acquired after my dogs were poisoned. Even though I was incredibly tired, I got out of bed and walked around the house. After I went back to bed, I again heard the dog barking irregularly. I went out with my weapon and didn’t see anything. I kept walking around [the perimeter of my] sheep pen, and noticed large metal wire-cutters. I panicked. I realized there were men around me.”
When police arrived, Dromi was administering first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
to the intruder, a Bedouin
Bedouin
The Bedouin are a part of a predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group traditionally divided into tribes or clans, known in Arabic as ..-Etymology:...
, Khaled el-Atrash, who later died. Dromi was arrested and imprisoned for a month and later restrained from returning to his farm afterwards requiring volunteers to continue its maintenance.
A public uproar drew much attention to Dromi's plight and a law was proposed by Member of Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
Yisrael Katz
Yisrael Katz (politician born 1955)
Yisrael Katz is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud and as the country's Minister of Transportation.-Biography:Born in Ashkelon, Katz earned a BA and an MA at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem....
and later passed by a large majority in the Knesset. The law, commonly known as the 'Dromi Law', considers opposition to intruders as self-defence.