COPS UNDER FIRE
ALLEGED drug dealers are attacking cops to prevent them from swooping on their livelihood.
This is according to a Phoenix Presidential Protection Unit Sergeant, Roland Muduray, who together with a high ranking official, who could not be named, was beaten by alleged members of the Phoenix Dirty Kids (PDK) on Sunday.
The incident follows several attacks on policemen in Phoenix.
Last week an off-duty policeman, Marlen Reddy, was dragged 10m from his neighbour's moving car on Sunday afternoon.
The incident unfolded after Reddy’s 28-yearold neighbour parked his car outside his home in Longcroft and called him outside to chat.
In the latest incident, Muduray, 44, said the incident unfolded after a crime imbizo awareness programme at the Rydal Park Secondary School. The father of three said that his 18-year-old son and girlfriend, whose identities he wished not to divulge, were walking home from the awareness programme when one of the suspects approached them.
The suspect allegedly used profane words to the 18-year-old.
Muduray claims that the suspect told his son he was going to kill both him and his father.
After Muduray left his wife at home and proceeded back to the school, he noticed that the suspect was with his son and girlfriend 10m away from the school. Curious, he went to see what had transpired. “When I arrived at the scene, the suspect called me names like “Christmas kerel” and said that he was going to make me sleep. Not wanting to retaliate, I went back inside the school to
Roland Muduray points to the scene of the attack report the matter to the on-duty policeman. During this time five other men arrived at the scene,” said Muduray.
It was when the officers went to confront the situation that one of the men in the group assaulted Muduray. A 16-year-old minor punched the other officer in the face and his stomach.
“I had seen the assault on my colleague and tried to intervene. I called for back-up from the Crime Prevention Unit. While doing this, the minor together with the five other men shoved me on the floor and began assaulting me. This lasted about five minutes. People watched as we were being beaten,” said Muduray.
Members of the Crime Prevention Unit intervened and arrested three suspects, one of whom was a minor. The other three suspects escaped. Mudaray said he feared for his life. ‘” I honestly thought I was going to die. I was scared, but endured it because I am an officer and it is my duty to assist the community.”
When POST contacted the other victim, a family member said he was unavailable as he was admitted to hospital. He said the incident was drug-related. Since drug operations began in the area two weeks ago, a number of policeman have been under attack.
“The drug dealers are targeting us following major police drug operations in the area. They are threatened and so is their livelihood. We were lucky, but the next policeman may not be.”
Police spokesman Captain Thulani Zwane, said the three suspects, aged 16 to 39, were taken in for questioning. He said investigations were continuing.