A crowd of bystanders interfered with Metro Police officers in the execution of their duties, resulting in a suspect getting away, but four of his defenders ending up behind bars.
What started out as an attempted traffic stop in Bishop Lavis on Friday 21 May 2022, soon unravelled into a situation where two Metro Police officers were injured and four suspects arrested on a number of charges.
Officers pulled over a white Toyota Quantum after the driver disobeyed a red robot, but he sped off instead, causing two accidents along the way, and eventually abandoned the vehicle at the Nyanga taxi rank, where he fled further on foot.
A crowd at the taxi rank hurled stones at the officers, and some also fired live rounds at them. Members of the Metro Police Tactical Response Unit discharged rubber rounds to disperse the crowd.
By the time the situation calmed down, the taxi driver had managed to evade capture, but four other suspects were arrested on multiple charges including public violence, malicious damage to Council property, resisting arrest and hindering/interfering with an officer in the execution of their duties; four Metro Police patrol vehicles were damaged; two officers sustained facial injuries from being hit in the face with rocks – one was taken to hospital for treatment.
‘It’s an unfortunate reality that more and more people feel they can simply insert themselves into situations that have nothing to do with them, and in the process they help suspects get away to potentially commit more offences down the line, but they also put our staff’s lives at risk as well as their own. This particular situation could have had fatal consequences. Even more puzzling is how, in the face of ongoing complaints about public safety and incidents of crime, anyone can target or obstruct officers in the execution of their duties. We condemn these brazen acts of lawlessness, and I sincerely hope that the courts will send out a strong message that this type of behaviour cannot and should not be tolerated,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
The suspects were among 316 arrests made by the City’s enforcement agencies in the last week. Officers also recorded 81 568 transgressions.
Metro Police officers made 128 arrests and issued 5 377 fines.
Their Law Enforcement counterparts made 134 arrests and issued 3 564 fines. Officers attached to the Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) also recovered four firearms in four days in Parkwood, Kraaifontein, Grassy Park and Nyanga.
The Cape Town Traffic Service recorded 72 627 offences, impounded 133 public transport vehicles and executed 1 895 warrants of arrest where motorists were in contempt of court for outstanding fines or warrants.
In addition, 54 motorists were arrested on other charges, including 37 for driving under the influence of alcohol and 17 for reckless and negligent driving
PECC
The City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre fielded 1 622 calls between Friday 20 May and Sunday 22 May.
The bulk of the calls were for medical assistance and by-law transgressions, but call takers also logged 87 assault incidents, 33 accidental injury trauma cases, 22 domestic violence incidents, 46 motor vehicle accidents and 10 pedestrian accidents, and 37 fires.
The PECC is contactable on 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.
Source: City Of Cape Town