AN off-duty Metro Police officer was shot at a community roadblock in Montclair on Wednesday, July 14.
The officer was believed to be on his way home when he approached the Alamein Avenue community roadblock. Ward 64 councillor, Gavin Hegter explained that tensions rose and a violent altercation followed, resulting in shots being fired from both parties.
“He was hit on the leg and community patrollers tried to apprehend and disarm him. It took a lot of them to detain him and only in the scuffle was it realised that he was wounded. “I called our first aiders, an ambulance as well as SAPS. It was after the altercation that he told the community that he was a police officer. Within minutes we had nine Metro Police vehicles arrive at the scene. I got SAPS to come and diffuse the situation. Our first aiders treated him and he was taken to hospital a Metro Police van,” explained Hegter.
The head of the eThekwini Metro Police Department, Steve Middleton shared a picture on social media of the said Metro Police officer with his car riddled with bullets. The image was captioned with a statement calling for community policing forums (CPFs) to stop their roadblocks.
“As much as what you have a right to CPF structures through legislation. You have no right to do this to a Metro Police colleague. You have no right to block public roads. This is illegal. You have no right to limit access to any area. You have no right to determine where people can travel. You have no right to determine where people shop. Open up your public road barricades immediately, there are legislated procedures you can follow, but you have no right to limit access and egress to any area,” reads his post.
Further comment from Metro Police was not forthcoming at the time of publication.
