A disgraced police official from Khayelitsha has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and more than likely, his job is as good as gone.
Watch: Khayelitsha cop assaulted in viral video
Video footage of a confrontation between the police constable and a taxi driver surfaced on social media, on Wednesday. From the cries of the passengers, it was presumed that the officer was the alleged aggressor in the fight.
The officer was pummelled with fists by the taxi driver multiple times and right before the video ended, voices could be heard accusing the on-duty cop of being drunk.
This apparently happened in Khayelitsha, outside Cape Town. @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/L6M9kxXGZZ
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) December 24, 2020
SAPS issues a statement, confirms officer is facing DUI charges
In a statement, the South African police noted, with concern, the incident that has since gone viral on social media.
Spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa revealed that a team of officers patrolling Spine Road were alerted of an incident where one of their own was involved in an accident near Ilitha Park.
“Upon arrival, they found the two vehicles with damages and a SAPS member in uniform who appeared unsteady on his feet.,” the police wrote.
The officer, still unidentified at this stage, was obliged to take an alcohol test and sure enough, the results only confirmed what witnesses of the brawl already knew.
“He was subsequently charged for driving under the influence of alcohol as well as reckless and negligent driving,” Brig. Potelwa added.
Apart from the criminal charges he faces, the constable from Site B’s Crime Prevention Unit will face an internal investigation, the result of which may put an end to his career as a public servant.
“The SAPS management condemns the unbecoming conduct of the police official and undertakes to ensure that there will be consequences for his actions. In the same breath the conduct of the taxi driver is the subject of the police investigation,” the statement concluded.