Officers in court over street brutality incident

TWO former police officers filmed allegedly kicking a naked Nigerian man in a street in the Cape Town CBD will go on trial on June 27 in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.

David Gunn, 43, and Gerrit Januarie, 46, both of whom held the rank of warrant officer at the time of the incident, appeared before Magistrate Alta Frederick yesterday, but were not asked to plead.

They face charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Valentia van der Berg told the court the investigation had been completed, and that she had given details of the charge to defence attorneys Ed Booth, for Gunn, and Isaac Korasie, for Januarie.

At the request of the defence, the bail conditions of both men were amended so they were no longer required to report to the police each week.

Booth told the court that each time Gunn reported to the Parow police he was told they had received no instructions to record his weekly visits in a special register provided for this purpose.

“The police told him to go away, and refused to record his visit,” Booth said. Korasie said Januarie had had similar experiences at the Kraaifontein police station. Both men are out on bail of R1 500.

In March, a woman in a building in the CBD used her cellphone to record the incident in the street below.

The video clip was widely viewed on social media.

Gunn was dismissed from the SAPS after disciplinary action, but Januarie resigned before disciplinary action could be taken against him. – Sapa

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