Guard shoots ‘crazy’ knifeman
A KNIFEMAN who went on a rampage and stabbed an undisclosed number of people and an armed security guard in the Quigney yesterday is fighting for his life at Frere Hospital.
He was shot three times in the abdomen by a Red Alert security officer.
The incident happened after the lone knifeman allegedly attacked a group of three men walking up Tutton Terrace at 10am in front of terrified onlookers.
The security guard was stabbed three times in his upper body after trying to stop the suspect from attacking the fleeing trio and other members of the public. He was saved by his protection vest.
Eric Harper, a 46-year-old roadside mechanic who witnessed the incident, said the under-threat security guard slipped on thick grass and fell backwards onto the bonnet of his response vehicle.
Harper said the attacker charged forward in an attempt to deliver more blows but the guard responded quickly and shot him.
“After he was shot he fell on the ground and lost his knife,” said Harper.
The bullet-riddled man got up and reached for his Okapi knife but “fell down and sat on the ground and started threatening and swearing at everyone”.
Harper, a former manager at the now defunct JSE security company, said: “That guard is lucky to be alive thanks to his training and the bulletproof vest because he was falling backwards when he drew his firearm and fired three shots.”
Red Alert security guard division manager Brett Harvey said “multiple” members of the public were stabbed.
Harvey said his armed response team were patrolling in the area when they saw people fleeing.
Harvey said the unnamed officer had no choice but to shoot as his life was in danger.
Dynamic Ambulance Services paramedics spokeswoman Melissa van Rooyen said the man was stabilised by their paramedics and rushed to Frere Hospital. “He remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital.”
Yesterday East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said Fleet Street police were investigating a case of attempted murder. —