A 14-year-old boy nearly lost his life after he sped away from a checkpoint in Al-Qatif in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to a local newspaper.
When the boy, with his 16-year-old friend in the passenger seat, tried to drive away because he did not have a driver's license, the police opened fire at the vehicle. He was struck in the back of the head. His friend was not wounded.
Witnesses said the security officers opened fire on the car that attempted to speed away from the checkpoint on the Nassrah Al-Awamia Road. This has been a permanent checkpoint for the past two years.
The car driver, Abdullah, is in a stable condition. His friend, Muhammad, was later taken to a social care center.
Lt. Col. Zeyad Al-Riqeiti of the Eastern Province said: “One of the checkpoints in the Al-Qatif governorate registered at 3 a.m. on Tuesday a vehicle with completely tinted windows that tried to make a getaway in the opposite direction. The police tried to stop the vehicle but the driver did not stop. This led security men to open fire, but the driver drove away.”
Al-Riqeiti said the police headquarters in Al-Qatif received a message from Al-Zahra private hospital two hours later reporting that a 14-year-old had been admitted with gunshot wounds to the back of the head and ear.
Meanwhile, 13 cars were reported severely damaged in Jarodiyah Municipality in Al-Qatif.
One resident said: “When I got up in the morning to go to work, I was shocked to find my car destroyed and its contents stolen. I later found out that I was not the only victim in the area. We all reported the incidents to the police.”
Teen shot for fleeing police checkpoint
