- Viral video shows policemen trying to arrest a suspect resisting arrest
- Police investigting: * assault common * resisting arrest * failure to wear a mask * interfering with, or obstructing a police officer in the performance of his or her duty * Crimean Injuria
- IPID investigating assaut
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A video has gone viral on social media showing two police officers attempting to apprehend a suspect resisting arrest, after he had been warned several times to wear a mask.
On Wednesday (10/02) the two police officials, a Warrant Officer and a Captain, were patrolling the streets of St Helena in Welkom when they saw a person who was not wearing a mask. The called the man and warned him to wear the mask, whereupon he started insulting them. The police officers warned him several times to wear the mask. The man refused and the two officers proceeded to arrest him.
“Unfortunately, while they were executing the arrest there was a scuffle, and bystanders tried to prevent the police from arresting the suspect. During this scuffle the police officers lost their own masks. After managing to get the two suspects into the car, one member of the community (as seen on the video) kicked the door of the vehicle which injured the warrant officer’s arm,” said Brig. Motantsi Makhele, spokesperson for the SA Police in the Free State.
He says the two officers withdrew from the situation when the community became violent.
Cases of assault common, resisting arrest, failure to wear a mask and interfering with, or obstructing a police officer in the performance of his or her duty, as well as Crimean Injuria have been opened for investigation. These cases are being investigated by the Welkom Detective Unit.
“One of the suspects also opened a case of assault against the police offices. This will be investigated by IPID,” says Makhele.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Baile Motswenyane is appealing to the community to allow the law to take its course.
“The fact that the two police officers involved are white must not allow us to jump to conclusions. We must get to the truth of what really took place, through both our investigation and that of IPID. Its unfortunate that the video only shows the part where the police were restraining the suspect and not what transpired from the beginning,” says Motswenyane.
