According to prosecutors, a police officer in Florida suffered “incapacitating injuries” after being intentionally run over by the son of an Israeli consulate official earlier this year. However, it appears that the individual’s criminal record may soon be expunged.
As previously reported by Law&Crime, on January 27, a Sunny Isles police officer conducting a routine traffic stop on a busy road pulled over Avraham Gil after observing him rapidly weaving in and out of traffic.
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According to reports, Gil did not slow down but instead continued to move forward and ended up running over the officer’s left leg. Fortunately, the officer reacted quickly and was able to pull Gil off his bike and bring him down to the ground. Footage from the dashcam revealed that Gil apologized for his actions, and when questioned by the police, he stated that he disliked waiting in traffic and was speeding through the cars. The arrest affidavit also mentions his statement.
Stephan Millan, Gil’s attorney, has yet to respond to requests for comments as of Wednesday. However, according to Miami NBC affiliate WTVJ, state attorneys have presented Gil with a pretrial diversion program this week, which could potentially help him avoid serving time in prison.
According to reports, during Gil’s recent court appearance, Judge Teresa Pooler informed him that if he successfully completes the diversion program, the state will drop all current charges against him. Court records reveal that Gil was initially charged with three felonies, including battery of a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer.
The resisting arrest or battery charge was not pursued by the prosecutors, leaving only the aggravated assault charge. The reason behind their decision to not pursue those charges remains unclear.
Gil has been mandated to participate in the pretrial diversion program which entails completing 100 hours of community service, attending traffic school, donating $500 to the Ryder Trauma Center, and accepting a “no-driving” order. The duration of the “no-driving” order is not specified.
According to WTVJ, Gil must finish the program by July 24.
According to reports, Gil’s parents hold a diplomatic and consular visa that is set to expire on July 1st, and as a result, they are expected to leave the United States at that time. The attorneys representing Gil have stated that he has no other place to go without his parents here.
When Gil appeared in court in February, his lawyer claimed that the teenager was entitled to consular immunity due to his father, Eli Gil’s, employment at the Israeli consulate office in downtown Miami.
Upon learning of the charges, the State Department released a statement clarifying that a dependent of an Israeli consular officer does not have civil or criminal immunity. The statement emphasized the distinction between a diplomat and a consulate official.
After consulting with the State Department and Office of Foreign Missions, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has announced its decision to charge Gil. The office discovered that neither Gil nor his father Eli Gil have diplomatic immunity.
According to Melba Pearson, a former criminal attorney, the determination of whether to prosecute Gil would hinge on the interpretation of treaties for diplomats and their families. Pearson emphasized that even diplomats may not have immunity as it depends on their rank and hierarchy. Additionally, immunity can be influenced by the duration of stay in the U.S., age, marital status, and even enrollment in college. Therefore, the decision to prosecute Gil is not straightforward and would require a careful consideration of these factors.
Gil had encountered Florida police before the incident with the Sunny Isles officer.
According to a report by WPLG, Gil was pulled over by Miami Shores Police on New Year’s Eve in 2023 for violating traffic rules by speeding and making an illegal turn. The dashcam footage captured Gil requesting permission to call his father. As highlighted by The New York Post, Gil’s motorcycle had a custom vanity license plate that read “PLS CHASE,” which was kept hidden by a second plate that could flip over it.
During this week, Gil rendered a sincere apology to the officer whom he caused harm to, through a lengthy and heartfelt letter.
He wrote that he has been contemplating his life, the choices he makes, and their outcomes since the occurrence. Every day, he reflects on what happened to both of them. He expressed his deep appreciation for the valuable service that the police offer.
Gil has decided to join the Israel Defense Forces to distance himself from “negative influences” and steer his life in a positive direction.
In his writing, he mentioned that he had plans to serve in a government post related to administrative social services. However, after the incident, he made the decision to join the active military instead.
In February of this year, WPLG reported that during his visit to the Miami-Dade County jail to retake his booking photo after being put on house arrest for the Sunny Isles incident, Gil was reportedly in tears in his first photo and was later attacked by another inmate who shared his holding cell.
Avraham Gil’s initial booking photo was taken in January 2024 by the Sunny Isles Police Department.
During his interrogation, Gil informed investigators that his attacker assaulted him while discussing the ingredients of sausages.
The authorities stated that the defendant came up to Gil and struck him repeatedly.
It was highly probable that Gil would have struck a deal had he been charged and convicted of all three felonies and chosen to go to trial. Pearson had anticipated earlier this year that Gil would face serious jail time, but the outcome would have been different if he had not made a plea bargain.
During an interview with Law&Crime, Pearson explained that typically, an aggravated battery charge is considered a second-degree felony and carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years. However, in this case, since a police officer was involved, the charge was elevated to a first-degree felony, which increased the maximum sentence to 30 years. As for the charge of resisting an officer, it carries a maximum sentence of five years.
