Racist metro cop’s apology sets precedent
"We had a very positive experience," victim tells the Record.
The racist metro cop’s apology to his two victims this morning is setting a precedent for future, similar complaints, the Metro Police said in the meeting in Selby this morning.
According to Steven van Eeden, the businessman who got assaulted and sworn at when he tried to help a fellow resident, they were told their case has set a precedent for how similar cases will henceforth be handled.
Assaulted, called kaff*r after snarky remark
The pair were verbally abused and Steven assaulted after the woman, Dimpie Theron, asked the officer to remove his marked vehicle from a disabled parking bay outside Roodepoort Licensing Department at Roodepoort City Hall in January.
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The Metro Police ordered the cop to apologise to the victims this morning (Tuesday 8 March) after Van Eeden opened a case with internal affairs. He cautioned that he did not want to get the officer fired.
“We had very positive feedback from the officer this morning,” he told the Record.
“The Metro Police decided this was the best way for the officer to reconcile with us, but the internal process hasn’t been finalised.
“The officer is still to appear in a formal hearing, and we were promised feedback on that as well,” he said.
Van Eeden is pleased that their situation has also inspired Metro Police to take better care of the disabled parking bays in front of the Roodepoort Licensing Department in CBD. They are looking into providing cones for the parking bays and establishing further traffic measures in the parking lot, he said.
Racist cop set to apologise, two months later
“All Metro Police officers are trained in anger management, the man must have had a bad day, but we shook hands and parted friends,” Van Eeden concluded.
Dimpie Theron later told the Record, “He wasn’t arrogant and I’m willing to accept he just had a bad day.”
The officer has not yet been named out of respect for the internal process to be completed. Superintendent Elmarie De Beer, an internal investigations officer, confirmed a departmental hearing is to follow and the outcome should be reached within the next three weeks, but referred the Record to spokesperson Wayne Minnaar.
Minnaar was not available, but spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said the process could take up to 30 days, although the department will act to speed up its resolve. After the hearing they will make a recommendation to the chief as to what should happen to the officer, she said.
“As long as your person, the public or any private or state property is not threatened, there is no reason for a JMPD officer to retaliate,” she concluded.
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