Johannesburg - Four police officers have been arrested in connection with the execution-style killing of an unarmed and injured suspect, which was caught on tape.
Three male police officers and one female officer were arrested at the Krugersdorp police station on Monday, according to SABC news.
A video released by the Sunday Times shows 32-year-old Khulekani Mpanza being shot and kicked by police officers while lying on a pavement in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
The incident reportedly took place on Monday October 19.
According to the Sunday Times report, Mpanza walked into a store in the area before emerging and firing eight shots at police sitting in a van about 60m away.
In the video, Mpanza then flees with police chasing after him. He is shot in the arm and falls to the ground, dropping his gun.
As he lies on the pavement, a policeman shoots him in the chest. Another policemen then kicks him.
The police officer who shot him in the chest then shoots him again.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT
undefinedIndependent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesman Robbie Raburabu was quoted as saying that Mpanza's post mortem showed that he was shot in the arm, head, and chest.
Ipid said they had opened a murder docket.
On Monday Johan Burger, a senior researcher for crime and justice at the Institute of Security Studies, said the situation was governed by Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
“Police officers receive training on how to use firearms and the legal uses of guns,” he said.
Burger said there were other pieces of legislation that needed to be taken into consideration.
“Deadly force should only be used when police officers have to arrest a person and they resist leaving the officers with no other alternative, if a person is trying to escape from a crime or if the person poses a direct threat of serious violence. The force is justified under those conditions.
“In this instance he shot at the police and the police shot at him. After he fell and was wounded the officers continued to shoot. Under all circumstances he was no longer a threat to anyone and the police could have arrested him,” he said.
Burger said the decision of the police to shoot at him twice in succession went completely beyond the provisions of the legislation.
“It is probable that the officers will be charged with murder as there is a higher legal issue with the police rather than normal citizens. From what I saw (video footage) they (police officers) did nothing to stop the police officer from shooting the suspect. After the second shot there was no effort made to provide any assistance,” he said.
Burger said it would be difficult to justify the actions of the police. He said though there was much sympathy for police with the killing of many other police officers, that did not justify the execution style killing of Mpanza after he was disarmed.
“Police must know better. It would have been a completely different matter if he (Mpanza) was a threat.”
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