BEIRUT — A white Mercedes speeding through downtown Beirut deliberately struck a police officer on Saturday, as captured in a shocking video widely shared online. The footage shows the car hitting the officer, who clings to its roof as the vehicle swerves before throwing him onto the road.

The dramatic incident unfolded on a busy avenue in the heart of the capital, where several police officers were inspecting a moped by the roadside. As the unlicensed white Mercedes approaches, the video shows a policeman stepping onto the road and signaling the approaching car to stop. The driver slows momentarily but then accelerates, striking the officer. With the policeman gripping the car's roof, the vehicle weaves dangerously before the officer is flung off a few meters away.

A security source told L’Orient Today that the driver has been arrested and is being questioned. The officer sustained "several fractures" and remains hospitalized. The motives behind the driver’s actions remain unclear.

Mikati contacts Osman

At around 7 p.m., the Internal Security Forces (ISF) issued a statement confirming the arrest of the Mercedes driver, who "attempted to run over and kill an officer on duty." The police added that intelligence services had apprehended the suspect, a Lebanese national born in 2005 and originally from Naqoura in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, contacted the Director General of the ISF, General Imad Osman, in the evening to inquire about the details of the incident and the condition of the policeman who had been struck. Mikati praised the ISF’s swift response, noting the almost immediate arrest of the hit-and-run driver, and emphasized the importance of their mission "to ensure the country's security."

The video has provoked widespread outrage and debate on social media. Some users expressed shock and disbelief at the brazen act. "My God, is this a movie or real life?" one X user wrote on the social media platform. Others questioned the police response, with several asking why officers at the scene didn’t open fire on the vehicle. Skepticism over accountability was also prevalent, with one commenter suggesting, “He’s probably connected and will be out of prison tomorrow.”

In a statement following the arrest, the family claimed that K.S. had committed "a reckless act" during a moment of "confusion" and that "hitting the officer was not intentional." The young man "had no ill intent," they added. According to the family, he voluntarily turned himself in to law enforcement.

The family also denied media reports alleging that K.S. was wanted for prior offenses. They stated that he had recently arrived in Lebanon to complete his university studies. "He turned himself in to the security forces of his own accord," they said. The family urged the media "to report accurately, consider the family’s feelings, and allow the law to take its course without engaging in speculation or fanciful narratives."