Crowd attacks police
2009-03-19
Lise Beyers
SHOTS rang out in Mbekweni on Saturday evening when police tried to close down an illegal shebeen. Police officers descended upon a shebeen in Hlonkomo Street, in an informal settlement in OR. They had responded to complaints by the public about unruly behaviour on the premises. Complaints included excessive noise and disturbance of the peace. The owner of the property also does not have a licence to sell alcohol. Furthermore, it is suspected that drugs are also traded and used here. With the arrival of police at the property, a crowd of about 40 people surrounded them, hurling stones and abuse at them. The officers retaliated by firing rubber bullets into the crowd. Various live rounds were also fired into the air. Nobody was injured. The crowd soon dispersed and more police reinforcements were called to the scene. Four men were arrested for public violence. * In nearby New Rest, another police officer had a close encounter, when he too went to attend a complaint of disturbance of the peace. According to reports, about 200 people were in and around a house, using alcohol and listening to loud music. When the police officer asked the owner of the property to turn down the music, the crowd started pelting his vehicle with stones. The officer fired one shot into the air, at which the crowd dispersed. A spokesperson for the police said that such behaviour will not be tolerated.
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