Failure to arrest cop questioned

Officer who allegedly tried to shoot girlfriend at police station sent home

INSTEAD of arresting a Port Elizabeth detective who allegedly tried to shoot his girlfriend during a spat at a police station before fleeing in a state vehicle, police tracked him down, questioned him and gave him a lift home.

The question now being asked is why the police did not act against one of their own – in accordance with the law – in an attempted murder case, which should have led to an immediate arrest.

Police Constable Jeronomo Blignaut, 28, sped off in an unmarked police car moments after the shooting in the Humewood Police Station car park on Friday night, while his girlfriend ran into the station’s Community Service Centre (CSC), crying.

According to police on the scene, officers were in the CSC at about 8pm when they heard gunshots and ran outside.

Although Blignaut was allegedly intoxicated, carrying a state firearm and using a state vehicle without permission, he was not taken into custody and his blood was not drawn to determine the blood-alcohol level.

Police have struggled to establish exactly what happened as Blignaut’s girlfriend, whose name is known to The Herald, declined to open a case or provide details of their argument.

Officers on the scene said the couple had apparently had a fight over their private car – which was parked at the police station and which they had gone to collect prior to the incident.

“Apparently, they came to the police station to fetch the car and something happened leading to the argument,” one officer said.

According to a source, Blignaut and his girlfriend had been partying before the dispute erupted.

Within an hour of the alleged shooting, the car in which Blignaut fled was found abandoned outside a restaurant in Bain Street, Richmond Hill.

The tracking system in the state vehicle had led police to the venue near busy Stanley Street.

Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu supplied a sketchy account of what had happened but was unable to say why Blignaut had not been arrested.

“The vehicle was located and he [Blignaut] was later found returning to the car,” she said.

“The car was driven back to Humewood Police Station and he was taken for questioning but released later.”

Naidu said Blignaut’s state firearm had been confiscated.

“[Gunpowder] residue tests were done and we are awaiting feedback.”

However, officials on the scene said Blignaut had been taken to the police station, where he handed in his firearm, and was given a ride home after answering some questions.

He was not arrested and the docket has been sent to the public prosecutor for a decision on whether he should face criminal charges.

“We do not know what transpired leading to this incident,” Naidu said.

“The woman [girlfriend] is refusing to provide details on what happened and does not want to open a case.

“An internal probe is also under way and will run concurrently with the criminal investigation.”

She confirmed that police had not taken a blood sample from Blignaut for testing, for alleged drunk driving and being in possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.

Naidu said none of the official statements mentioned that he had been under the influence.

Top firearm law expert and attorney Martin Hood said that, in normal circumstances, the person who allegedly committed such a crime would be arrested.

“If this incident involved a civilian, the person would immediately have been arrested and charged with attempted murder,” he said.

“It is unlikely any blood sample would have been taken due to resource limitations and an inability of the police to think out of the box.

“It is virtually impossible to motivate the police to investigate themselves.

“I frequently have clients who try to open dockets against the police for misconduct, with no success.”

According to the Firearms Control Act, the penalty for discharging a firearm without good reason – a schedule four offence – is a fine or maximum of five years in jail, if convicted.

Institute for Security Studies senior researcher Dr Johan Burger said the police would be expected to investigate thoroughly, including the taking of blood samples, residue and the testing of the firearm itself.

“However, in instances where a police officer is involved in an incident relating to the discharge of an official firearm, the IPID [Independent Police Investigative Directorate] is obligated to investigate the case,” he said.

According to Naidu, IPID was notified but declined to take on the investigation.

IPID spokesman Moses Dlamini said he would look into the incident.

Attempts to contact Blignaut for comment were unsuccessful.

‘ An internal probe is under way . . . with the criminal investigation