Metro cop face mask altercation leads to fractured nose

Siphumelele Ngidi says her sister in law Thalente is waiting to undergo surgery at the Botshelong Hospital after a metro police officer allegedly fractured her nose during an altercation on Sunday. 

Ngidi says they were pulled over by the metro cops for skipping a stop sign.

She was traveling with Thalente, the domestic worker and her two children on Barry Marais Road. 

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The altercation started when they requested that the officer first sanitise his hands before handling an affidavit confirming her lost driver’s licence. 

“I went to open my boot to show him my affidavit, when he wanted to take the affidavit I asked him to sanitise his hands,” says Ngidi. 

“He started getting mad. But he went back to his car to sanitise and he started shouting at me when he came back.”

Ngidi says the shouting continued while the officer issued her a ticket. 

“So he pulls down his mask and this is where the fight started.

“We ask him to pull it up, he doesn’t and then he moves close to my window with his mask down still. My sister in law pulls up the phone and says we feel our lives are endangered by your behaviour and I am going to report this as well. So she took a photo of him and this is where he started getting very mad,” she adds. 

Ngidi says the metro cop got angry and yanked her sister-in-law out the car, from the passenger’s seat through to the drivers seat. 

“At this stage we are asking why are you handcuffing her as she tries to walk away from him, he grabs her by the bum and hooks his hand on her pants and pulls her back towards him. 

“This is where another guy came off the street to push him away from her. 

“He threw a few slaps as well and whilst this guy is also trying to push him away from her, this is where he threw a punch at her nose. Still shouting she is still provoking him," she adds.

Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Kobeli Mokheseng says the department is aware of the incident and has launched an investigation.

The victims have also indicated that they will lay a criminal charge against the metro cop.