Officer probed for ‘negligence’

POLICE KILLINGS: SUSPECT WAS NOT SEARCHED Man arrested on drugs charges shot two SAPS members in holding cells area.

Nearly five months after a man gunned down two police officers before turning the gun on himself at the Johannesburg Central police station, the investigation has still not been completed.

The man was brought to the police station on January 31 after being arrested for alleged possession of dagga in the Booysens area.

While being processed in the holding cells reception area, he pulled out a firearm and shot one officer. A second police officer fled to get backup.

According to police, the man then switched the lights off and waited in the holding cell area.

Two officers entered the area and the suspect again opened fire, killing a second policeman.

The third officer escaped the gunfire and the man turned the gun on himself.

Police previously stated the suspect used a licensed firearm to kill the police officers, but could not confirm whether he was searched on his arrest.

Police spokesperson Lungelo Dlamini said yesterday the investigation had not been finalised, but a police officer was being investigated regarding the arrest of the suspect.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) spokesperson Moses Dlamini said at the time: “It seems the members … were negligent. He was not searched.” Dlamini could not be reached for comment on the latest investigation.

Johan Burger, senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, said it was standard protocol to search an arrested person “to make sure the person does not have a weapon, as well as removing anything that can be used as evidence.” – According to Ipid’s annual report for 2013/2014, of a total of 5 745 cases received during the reporting period, 234 were deaths in police custody. Most deaths in police custody were reported in Gauteng, which reported 47 deaths during the review period.