Cape Town – The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating the metro police officers captured on video discharging their firearms at a vehicle which had allegedly jumped a red traffic light and crashed into them.
The dramatic scenes that played out near Milnerton on Monday went viral, with footage showing metro police shooting flat the car tyres of a male driver in a silver Audi A4 car alongside the R27.
Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola said they were investigating the incident.
“Ipid is investigating (a) discharge of firearm case. It is alleged that the metro police officers were chasing a stolen vehicle which collided with their vehicle.
“As alleged, they fired shots at the tyres of the vehicle which sped off into a basement parking area of flats and the suspects were arrested,” she said.
City Safety and Security executive director Richard Bosman said the driver went through a red traffic light and when metro police officers tried to stop him, he drove into their vehicle causing damage.
“He then sped away but when officers caught up to him and instructed him to exit his car, he refused and they shot at his tyres.
“The determination of the driver to evade the officers and avoid arrest, compelled them to take alternative measures to stop him. Metro police officers undergo regular training for such situations, as the video currently being circulated demonstrates the officers on scene took a decision to shoot out the getaway vehicles' tyres, thus severely limiting his attempts to flee the scene at high speeds, which could have resulted in the injury or death of innocent road-users.
“When he sped away a second time, officers followed him. He subsequently rammed through parking garage doors and entered a parking garage of a building where they followed and arrested him,” Bosman said.
He added that the suspect refused to obey a lawful instruction to stop and exit the vehicle, and continued in his attempts to resist arrest and evade the officers, who were forced to take immediate action in an attempt to immobilise his vehicle.
“With an alarming level of violence being displayed against our officers and levels of increased lawlessness on our roads, our officers are often forced to take difficult decisions in the course of their duties.
“This can be seen with the level of firearm use that our officers have come across in similar situations during these enforcement operations, such as with the discovery of a restricted automatic assault rifle last week during a similar kind of traffic enforcement stop,” he said.
Bosman said the shooting was reported to Ipid and all due processes will be followed.
Cape Times