Witness recounts Glenwood park shooting
"She walked around with the gun to her head, and chest threatening to kill herself," said the witness.
THE Glenwood community was left shell-shocked yesterday (Tuesday, 4 May) after a woman walked into a park along Evans Road and fired several shots into the air.
According to Umbilo CPF chairperson, Heather Roos, the woman also threatened to commit suicide.
A Glenwood resident, who witnessed the harrowing ordeal, has come forward to share his encounter.
The resident, whose name is known to the Berea Mail, also questioned why the woman, who caused hours of “calamity”, had not been arrested after the ordeal.
“A woman, armed with a loaded pistol, was standing in a local park. After firing several shots into the air the police were alerted by residents. While police blocked off the roads around the park, they tried to talk her down, calling for her to drop the gun. She was on the phone several times, and fired more shots in the air – seven in all as reported by residents,” said the resident, whose name is known to the Berea Mail.
Also read: Woman fires gun in Glenwood park
“She walked around with the gun to her head, and chest threatening to kill herself. Her husband was called to the area as well as paramedics. After a four-hour standoff, she walked to a side road, and sat down. Finally a negotiator arrived, and some police changed clothes to approach her. After a further standoff, they managed to successfully talk her down and disarm the woman,” continued the resident.
He said the woman was then greeted by another woman who appeared to be known to her.
“She hugged the woman and then appeared to be on good terms with the police,” he said.
He claims the friend then carted the previously armed woman away from the scene.
Captain Phumzile Makaula of the Umbilo SAPS confirmed that no arrests had been made.
“The woman was taken for psychological assessment at King Edward Hospital. There are previous cases of attempted suicide involving this woman,” she said.
Also read: Suspect at large after stabbing Glenwood man
The resident also claimed that police were rude to onlookers, and threatened to arrest some of them.
Makaula denied these claims, saying “Police did not threaten to arrest people in the crowd, instead we were removing them from the scene to ensure their safety. The community is urged not to interfere during a crime scene,” she said.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple
