A BRIGHTON Beach SAPS officer is under investigation for assaulting a 71-year-old woman, following an altercation at a Bluff shopping centre.
On Saturday, 6 February, at about 5.45pm, Sally Kruger and her elderly mother were in the Oxford parking lot.
“I was parked just in front of where the trolleys are, waiting for a car to come out that was reversing when a SAPS vehicle parked directly in front of me and the cops got out the vehicle, locked the doors and went inside. So instead of just pulling into the now empty parking, I had to reverse and come in at a narrow angle.”
Once Kruger had finally parked, her mother got out the car and took photos of the police van on her phone. According to Kruger, one of the officers seized the phone and deleted the images while being verbally abusive towards her mother.
one of the officers seized the phone and deleted the images while being verbally abusive
“She then grabbed my mom’s wrist and pulled her into where the cops usually park, shouting there was no parking there and threatening my mom. My mom told her she could see I was about to go into a parking so why stop in front of us, and she said she will arrest me because obviously I can’t drive.”
When Kruger asked the officer for her name as she had no name badge, she allegedly become abusive towards her and again threatened to arrest her.
Kruger and her mother made statements about the incident at Brighton beach police station and a complaint has been registered against the officer, who was identified through CCTV footage.
Brighton Beach SAPS communications officer, Captain Louise Le Roux said she interviewed Kruger and her mother the following day.
“The following charges have been laid and will be investigated by the appointed investigating officer: Unacceptable behaviour; ill-treatment of a client; assault and intimidation,” said Capt Le Roux.
“I have been assured by the station commander Colonel Colonel Grobler himself that he views this complaint as very serious and he has appointed a senior detective to investigate thoroughly. I would like to give them the chance to do their job and see what comes of it and will make any decisions thereafter, pending their conclusion,” said Kruger.
