IPID probing cops who threw stun grenade at taxi, shot two women passengers

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating a case of attempted murder of two women as a result of police action.

This after the women, who were traveling in a taxi on Wednesday evening, got wounded when police shot at the taxi multiple times.

It is alleged that on Wednesday at about 23:30, a woman who lives at extension 6 in Soshanguve, Pretoria, was having a three-year-old child who was sick and she asked for help from a neighbour to take them to a local clinic.

The neighbour, a taxi driver, took his Toyota Quantum and drove them to the clinic. Inside the vehicle were four occupants – the driver, two females, one male and the three-year-old child.

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According to Ipid’s spokesperson Grace Langa, police working around the Soshanguve area had information that there was a white quantum that was driving around the township committing robberies. It is alleged that the officers spotted the taxi, which fit the description of the information they had, and they tried to stop the driver.

The driver, however, did not stop because the officers were travelling in an unmarked vehicle, and opted to accelerate instead, which led to the police throwing a stun grenade towards the vehicle.

“It is reported that the police were driving an unmarked vehicle and the taxi driver thought he was going to be hijacked.

“It is further reported that while the police were shooting at the driver of the taxi, they were at the same time showing a blue light after which the driver noticed and stopped out of the road.

“The police approached them and it was discovered that two of the females who were in the taxi got injured. One of them was shot on the left side of her leg and on the right side, while the other one was also shot on the right-hand side. Both the victims were taken to Goerge Mkhari Hospital by ambulance. Eight R-5 empty cases plus 1x stun grenade canister were found on the scene,” Langa said in a statement.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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