Man dies in police cells

A man apprehended by police was found allegedly hanging in his cell.

Clint Hoorn (23) was, according to police, found dead on Monday night, around 11pm, by police while patrolling the cells.

“He used his tracksuit pants to hang himself and left no note,” Captain Phillemon Khormbi said.

Myra Hoorn, the mother of the deceased, said that police arrived at her house in the early hours of Tuesday morning telling her to fetch her son from the station.

“I asked them why I needed to go with because he (Hoorn) is an adult, the police insisted that I go with them to the station and bring his ID with,” Myra said.

Myra was made to wait at the charge office while the police went to the cell.

“They later returned and told her to go with them to the cells.

“I saw a mortuary van and I immediately knew something was wrong.

“I refused to go to the cell but the police told me I must see my son,” Myra said.

She saw Hoorn on his knees with a tracksuit jacket around his neck.

“We had to show the family that he was hanging because we don’t want cases where the family blame police for his death,” Khorombi said.

Hoorn was arrested for possession of suspected stolen goods – a chair.

Myra said she does not believe that Hoorn killed himself, many things don’t make sense to her.

“Apart from the fact that he was on his knees and not hanging, I know my son well enough to know that he wouldn’t kill himself.

“According to the police, there were 14 other people in the same cell that night, somebody must have seen and knows something,” Myra said.

Her sister went to visit Hoorn in the afternoon before his death and said that he was fine and didn’t seem suicidal.

Myra is also suspicious of the suicide because, according to her, there was no place where Hoorn could’ve hung himself from.

According to Khorombi, Hoorn was found hanging from a shower.

Myra said the head of the shower in the cell is mounted in the wall.

She said it is difficult for a parent to lose a child.

Myra missed hearing him making tea for himself at 2am.

She said that he would spend his days completing puzzles in newspapers and magazines.

“Clint ate sweets like a child,” Myra said.

When speaking to Urban News on Friday she said that she knows the reality of her son’s death will kick in at his funeral.

Hoorn will be laid to rest on Saturday.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is handling the case.