No reason to arrest officer who shot Len Cloete, says Ipid

While the Independant Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is still investigating the shooting of Len Cloete at a Muldersdrift lodge last month, it doesn’t look like there will be any arrest any time soon.

This was confirmed by the directorate’s spokesperson Grace Langa on Thursday.

Langa said that there was still no reason for the arrest of any of the officers who were present at the scene when Cloete was shot in head by an officer after he had disarmed a female police her gun.

“Investigations are still going on, we have not arrested any police officers,” said Langa.

“There won’t be any arrest, unless there is a reason.

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“For now we do not have a reason at all to arrest any of the police officers in that incident.”

Shooting ‘Justified’

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) last month also came to the defence of the officers of the South African Police Service (Saps) after the Misty Hills Country Hotel shooting.

Popcru believes the police’s actions were completely justified.

“The officers found their lives were in danger and acted accordingly, which must be deemed as justifiable,” the union said in a statement on Tuesday.

The union said while it is against any form of brutality, be it against civilians or law enforcement agencies, the incident was regrettable, especially when the police are subjected to abusive behaviour.

“They are often subjected to the abusive behaviour such as that portrayed in the clip by the person of interest, demonstrating a high level of disdain for the constitutionally-mandated tasks that these officers carry out with commitment.”