COP IN COURT FOR KILLING SUSPECTED ROBBER
AN inquest to establish whether a police officer who gunned down a young man during a manhunt for a robbery suspect should be charged or not has been postponed to February 2021.
Magistrate Ike Raphael postponed the matter to February 11th, 2021 to allow for three more witnesses to give evidence in court.
The tragic shooting, which occurred on July 23rd, 2017 at Matsila ward in Thamaga, claimed the life of 23-year-old Kaelo Mosaunyana of Kgosing ward in the same village.
Furious locals had described Mosaunyana’s death as police brutality while the cops claimed it was an accident, prompting government to instigate an inquest.
Giving evidence before Molepolole Magistrate, Ike Raphael said the cop at the centre of the storm, 45-year-old Detective Constable Steven Motsewabeng, said while on patrol with Detective Sergeant Aron, Detective Constable Medupe and Special Constable Balosang, they received a report of robbery from the office and rushed to the scene.
He said the call came from one Patrick Rabola who reported that three men wearing masks and armed with knives, and stones broke into his house demanding money and cellphones.
“The reporter informed us that one of the suspects wearing a black t-shirt ran towards Urban Club. We went there and spotted one boy wearing a black top in the company of others. We tried to stop them but they ran away and we followed,” explained Motsewabeng.
Motsewabeng further told court that when sergeant Aron eventually stopped the vehicle for the cops to question the young men, one of them attacked him and, as they wrestled for the gun that was in his hand, it discharged bullets accidentally and killed the attacker.
However, Special Constable Balosang, who was left sitting in the car when his colleagues went to confront the suspects, told court that she heard a gunshot and hastily got out only to find the boy they were chasing on the ground face down, bleeding from the head.
“I did not hear any commotion. After the gun shot, I heard Detective Sergeant Aron asking Motsewabeng why he shot at the man and he did not respond,” explained Balosang.
Meanwhile, Mosaunyana’s cousin, Gorataone Eddie, 27, told court that Mosaunyana was about four meters away from the police vehicle when he was shot.
“When the police got out of the vehicle, we could tell they were holding guns and one of them asked us what our problem was but before we could even answer, he fired a shot and we ran. In the morning, I heard Mosaunyana was hit by the police bullet and had died.”