The death of an Ethiopian-Israeli teenager in an altercation with an off-duty police officer on Sunday triggered unprecedented and widespread violence across the country this week.

The protests, which were held at dozens of locations across Israel, reached a peak on Tuesday night when rioters torched cars and major roads and entrances to cities were blocked.

The circumstances in which Solomon Teka, 18, died  in Kiryat Haim near Haifa are as yet unclear.

The police officer, who remains unnamed but under house arrest, claimed that a group of youngsters attacked him as he tried to break up a fight.

He said they threw stones at him when he drew his handgun to protect himself.

Eyewitnesses, however, said that the officer shot Mr Teka at close range despite not being in danger. Ballistic findings indicate that the bullet may have hit the ground first, before ricocheting and killing the young man.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, the incident has played into longstanding complaints by Ethiopian-Israelis that they are the victims of “over-policing” and violence.

Research by Tel Aviv University indicates that an Ethiopian-Israeli minor is three-and-a-half times as likely as an average Israeli minor to be arrested and charged.

The protests began on Monday afternoon at the Kiryat Ata junction near Mr Teka’s home but quickly spread across the country.

On Tuesday night, rioters — mainly young Ethiopian-Israeli men and women — blocked the main entrances to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, throwing stones at police.

Police stations near neighbourhoods with large Ethiopian-Israeli populations such as Kiryat Malachi and Ashkelon were attacked, while police cars were overturned and set alight.

Most of the protestors did not take part in the violence and made do with blocking roads and chanting against racism.

According to the police, 136 demonstrators were arrested and over a hundred people injured, half of them police officers.

Mr Teka’s family asked the demonstrators to suspend the protests out of respect for his memory, until after the end of his Shiva. Instead, the family said, they should gather for a prayer at the Western Wall.

But leaders of the Ethiopian-Israeli community said that the protests were the fault of the government and the police.

Former Knesset members Asher Seyoum condemned the violence but added: “What do you expect when young men and women feel they have nothing to lose?”.