UPDATE: Crazed man’s rampage
The officers allowed him to leave the scene on foot, still screaming and threatening bystanders
RICHARDS Bay police station commander Brigadier Brenda Mgenge will lead a task team investigating the circumstances surrounding the release by city police of a violent suspect at the Meerensee Post Office on Monday afternoon.
Police officers called to take custody of a man responsible for the vicious assault on two contractors, reportedly removed his handcuffs and watched passively as he hurled swear words and racial profanities at Community Policing Forum (CPF) members and bystanders.
He also repeatedly charged at the crowd, threatened to assault an elderly man and kicked a CPF member’s vehicle.
The officers allowed him to leave the scene on foot, still screaming and threatening bystanders.
They ordered the CPF to remove vehicles blocking the suspect’s car and when the man returned, one officer even assisted push-starting the car with a second suspect behind the wheel.
The group then drove off.
The driver earlier also hurled racial insults and threats at CPF members who responded to a report of fighting in Davidson Lane involving intoxicated occupants of a white Polo.
According to camera footage, the driver participated in the assault of the contractors who were hit with a spade and had to be taken to Ngwelezana Hospital
CPF patroller David Pretorius warned the men to wait for the police, but they sped off.
The Polo was later spotted at the Meerensee Post Office, but when the main suspect was approached by patrollers, he charged at them and had to be subdued with pepper spray and was handcuffed.
A large crowd gathered as the enraged man and his friend swore and hurled racial abuse at the CPF and the paramedic who offered assistance.
CPF member Corrie Pretorius called the police to take the man into custody, but instead of removing him from the scene, the officers let him go, whereafter the aggression escalated.
Read the full story in the ZO Weekender edition.
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