Mpumalanga cop bashed and bitten to death by inmate

A female police officer was beaten and mauled to death by a prisoner in KwaMhlanga‚ Mpumalanga police said.

The incident happened on Saturday‚ said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.

The officer went to the cell of the awaiting-trial prisoner to give her clothes and medication. The inmate was suspected to be mentally ill.

"A female lieutenant-colonel walked into the cell to wake her‚ to which she didn't respond. The suspect then jumped on the police officer‚ grabbed her with her hair and banged her head several times against the wall and bit her on the neck‚" said Hlathi.

"Other colleagues tried to assist her‚ however it was too late as she was already seriously injured. The victim managed to walk on her own into the kitchen cells‚ however collapsed shortly after."

Paramedics who were summoned to the scene declared the officer dead.

Hlathi said it was not the first time the inmate had attacked a police officer.

"The suspect had been previously arrested for several cases including an assault on a police officer and malicious damage to property. It also came forth that some time ago‚ the same suspect attacked police officials while they were trying to apprehend her brother on an assault case at their home‚" said Hlathi

"As a result‚ she had appeared at Kwamhlanga Magistrate's Court on 31 August 2017‚ for two counts of malicious damage to property‚ assault‚ defeating the ends of justice‚ resisting arrest and her cases were postponed to the 7th September".

The woman would face a further charge of murder.