Man’s struggles after being shot on duty
De Beer will never have full use of his leg again - Doctor
Thys de Beer, 43, a reaction officer from a local security company who was shot in the left leg in an incident at a Townlands farm in September last year, has undergone nine surgeries since.
Last year De Beer was called out to an armed robbery, after which he apprehended one of the suspects and handed him over to the police. As he went back to his vehicle to get the evidence found on the suspect, he was shot in the left leg by another suspect.
De Beer said he felt numb and fell to the floor. His wife, Monica, said the bullet went through his main artery.
De Beer was taken to Netcare Milpark Hospital, where he was in a coma for 10 days. He then spent another month in hospital, where he underwent various surgeries on his leg. According to Monica, he spent almost three months away from home owing to the surgeries and that was emotionally draining.
According to doctors, De Beer allegedly will never have full use of his leg again.
“To make matters worse, the security company sent Thys a letter, stating his last salary was to be paid at the end of March,” Monica said. This, however, came as a shock to the De Beers, as he was on duty when the incident occurred.
Monica said the doctor communicated with the security company, saying there might be a chance he would have to be boarded.
“This was not a final decision nor final notification,” according to Monica.
After two and a half years of loyal service, De Beer now lives with constant pain and walks with crutches. The suspect he arrested pointed out the other suspects to the police, leading to their arrests. The De Beers’ future is now uncertain, as Monica is not employed.
According to one of the directors of the security company, the letter was just a notification that it has been six months since the incident and that a process has been started in which it would be decided whether De Beer would be medically boarded or return to work. The company confirmed that De Beer has not officially been boarded, but that he and the doctors are in the process of applying for it. Depending on the progress of the application, the company would still pay De Beer a salary until a final decision is reached.
“According to the rule, we were only needed to pay him 75 per cent of his salary the last three months, however we paid him in full,” the director said.
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