Cape Town - The man arrested in connection with the murder of senior police officer Charl Kinnear, 52, is expected to appear in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court this morning.
Hawks national spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said the 39-year-old suspect was arrested in Gauteng on Wednesday and details surrounding the murder were still unknown.
Mulaudzi, said more arrests were not ruled out as investigations were still under way.
Kinnear who worked at the police’s Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) in Cape Town was gunned down outside his home in Bishop Lavis last Friday.
“It is alleged that Kinnear had just arrived home when the suspect approached his car and opened fire on him at close range,” he said.
The Bishop Lavis Community Policing Forum (CPF), family, friends and police officers gathered in front of Kinnear’s home at Gearing Road in Bishop Lavis on Thursday to celebrate his life.
The emotive service was attended by his colleagues in the AGU, the police top echelons in the province, Cape Town mayor Dan Plato and SA Human Rights Commission commissioner Chris Nissen.
Kinnear’s boss, Andre Lincoln, said it has not been an easy period for them. He said saying Friday’s tragedy would remain the worst day in the history of the AGU.
“It’s going to always remind us of the fearless warrior, the fighter, the man of God.”
Kinnear's boss Andre Lincoln said they feel the pain. @IOL @TheCapeArgus pic.twitter.com/umYpH0O7qF
— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) September 24, 2020
Lincoln said that they would always miss him and would make sure that they continued his legacy, and vowed to leave no stone unturned to bring his killers to book.
“This is not going to be a flash in the pan. I spoke to Police Minister Bheki Cele on Friday and said that a war has been declared.”
Western Cape police head of detective services Jeremy Vearey said he was there to celebrate a warrior not to mourn “somebody”.
The Western Cape @SAPoliceService boss Major-General Jeremy Veary speaking at the memorial service of the murdered senior police Charl Kinnear. @IOL @TheCapeArgus pic.twitter.com/tVrsVyaDXQ
— Sisonke Mlamla (@SISONKE_MD) September 24, 2020
Vearey said about 20 years ago when he was a brigadier and the deputy head of the area east metropole, his secretary came to his office and told him that there was someone outside, a warrant officer, who claimed that he knows you, and he said he wanted me to be his mentor, and wanted to join the fight against gangs.
Vearey said he asked the secretary to let him in.“and before he said all the things that he wanted to do … I asked him how he knows me.
“He told me a story when I was in matric in 1981 as a member of the student representative council, when they were beaten by the public order police. I told him to stop, because I saw he really knew me.”
He said they would not let politics play games when investigating Kinnear’s case.
Plato said Kinnear was a father, husband, public servant, family man and did not deserve to die like that.
“His death just gives rise to many questions and that is the state of gangsterism and the drug scourge in our society.
“I hope Kinnear’s death will open many eyes,” Plato said.
Amanda Davids, Bishop Lavis CPF deputy chairperson, called on the police to honour Kinnear’s memory and pick up where he left off.
Davids said Kinnear was a man of dedication, faith, great commitment and compassion, a man who worked daily to eradicate the country’s illegal weapons and dangerous criminals and that dedication sadly brought everyone to “this” moment.
Cape Argus