WATCH: Residents stone cops as police 2IC claims victory against crime
Residents in a gang-ridden Cape Flats community have turned on police‚ despite a senior politician saying that cops are winning the battle against crime.
Community members in Hanover Park stoned police in an attempt to free a suspected murderer on Tuesday‚ forcing officers to flee the area.
Two policemen were injured in the attack after they responded to a shooting in the neighbourhood. One of the officers was bitten.
Police are seen retreating from Erie Court‚ in a video posted on social media‚ after they were surrounded by residents. Someone then throws a tyre into an abandoned SAPS vehicle while it is being pelted with rocks.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut said the suspect managed to escape during the “altercation with the community”.
“Yesterday afternoon an 18-year-old man was shot and killed in Erie Court Hanover Park by a suspect who fled the scene‚” said Traut.
“Police reacted and in the process a suspect was arrested who was sought for another murder which was also perpetrated in Hanover Park. The community attacked the police and in the process two of our members were injured‚” he said.
On Tuesday a media house reported that two policemen were killed in the clash‚ prompting a strongly worded statement from the deputy police minister's office.
“Mr Bongani Mkongi is utterly disappointed by fake reports from some media houses on two police officers who were shot and killed in Hanover Park‚” read the statement issued by his spokesman Siyabulela Tom.
“We want to put it categorically that there is no single police officer that was shot dead at Hanover Park.”
Tom said criminals in Hanover Park had been “squeezed into a tight corner” and that their “oxygen to breathe was limited” after the deputy minister had visited the area.
He claimed that police had shut down drug and human trafficking networks‚ as well as gang leaders and druglords.
“Our resolve and determination is to stabilise Hanover Park and the greater Cape Flats‚ no criminals and gang lords shall stop us from doing that‚” Tom said.
-TimesLIVE
Source: TMG Digital.