The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department reported that a Nigerian suspect, allegedly involved in drug dealing, attacked one of its officers during an operation in Randburg, a suburb north of Johannesburg.
According to JMPD, officers
were following a lead on the suspect Sunday afternoon. Upon their arrival, the
suspect called for reinforcements, claiming he was being robbed. This led to a
violent confrontation with one of the officers, the department said in a statement
posted on Facebook Monday.
"During the ensuing
events, two suspects were shot. One was critically injured and taken to
Olivedale Hospital, while the other sustained a hand wound. He was treated at
the scene by paramedics and subsequently arrested," the statement read.
Backup was requested, and officers from JMPD, SAPS, and Gauteng traffic police
responded to the scene.
A third suspect, who
transported the critically injured suspect to the hospital, was identified and
apprehended by officers. The officer’s firearm was recovered by Douglasdale
SAPS, and a police vehicle was damaged in the incident.
Lesiba Thobakgale, spokesperson
for the South African Policing Union, condemned the attack, calling assaults on
police officers an attack on the state itself. Thobakgale urged that such
crimes be deemed treasonous and stressed the government's responsibility to
protect its law enforcement officers.
"Police killings or
attacks should be declared treason, as it is a crime against the state. The
state has a responsibility to protect police officers who are representing the
state and not themselves. This action will show that the government is taking
such barbaric acts seriously," Thobakgale said.
JMPD has opened a case of
attempted murder and public violence for further investigation.
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