How many of these boys would have been saved if police had acted with courage?
An investigation of the response to Thursday's massacre have raised serious questions about the behavior of police officers who first arrived on the scene.
Eyewitnesses have said that it took between 15-20 minutes for police to actually enter the building, the Jerusalem Post reported. The first two police officers to arrive did not enter the yeshiva, despite hearing the continuing gunshots and screams from insider.
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Instead, one reportedly ran down the street to prevent a bus that was traveling to the building to come close. A second said that he stood outside to prevent civilians from entering. Meanwhile the terrorist gunman continued his killing spree, chasing down students, and shooting wounded teenagers to "confirm the kill"
In the end, it was an off-duty IDF officer and part-time yeshiva student, Capt. David Shapira, who ran past police officers standing outside -- after demanding and receiving a police cap so he wouldn't be mistaken for a terrorist -- and entered the building, neutralizing the terrorist with two shots.
Shapira, who was a student at the yeshiva prior to his enlistment in the army, had come there Thursday to pray with other students, and later returned to his home nearby. He was putting his children to sleep when he heard the shots.
And it was another yeshiva student, Yitzhak Dadon, who had been in the school on the floor below, went out to a balcony and, managed to wound the terrorist when he stepped outside of the library before Shapira finished the jump, emptying his clip.
(Dadon appears in the video clip below, explaining what happened and inserting some pointed comments blaming the attack on the "new middle east" fantasies of President Shimon Peres and the weaknesses of Prime Minister Olmert, whom he accused of providing the terrorists with weapons.)
Shapira continued canvassing the place and attending to the injured. Shortly after the attack, Shapira met with Lupolianski, who praised him for saving the lives of Jerusalem residents through his brave actions. "I am no hero," Shapira replied. "I acted as required of me as an IDF soldier."
Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi met with Shapira Friday and praised him for his actions. "You've demonstrated exemplary behavior, resourcefulness, courage and professionalism," Ashkenazi said. "You acted like any IDF officer is expected to act," he added.
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