Police vehicle burnt in North West

Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said the police vehicle was torched on Saturday.

 

“It is alleged that the police were attending to a complaint when they saw members of the community assaulting a man. The police allegedly tried to intervene by removing the man from the enraged community.

 

“The latter allegedly set alight the police vehicle but the officials managed to rescue the severely assaulted man who was accused of being responsible for the crime in the area,” said Mokgwabone.

 

He said another vehicle called as a back-up was stoned by the mob.

 

“It is alleged the community attempted to burn the car by throwing a burning tyre onto it. However, the car did not burn, although the tyre caused damages to it.”

 

Paramedics assisted the injured man and he was admitted to hospital. The police officers were not hurt during the incident.

 

Nobody had been arrested and the investigation into the matter continued.

 

North West acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Jacob Tsumane warned the community not to take the law into their own hands.

 

“The community must understand and accept that while we need their support, the rule of law must be obeyed. Damaging of properties is a criminal act and cannot be allowed.

 

“The members of the community often complain about the service they get from the police, and burning of police vehicles is more of denying innocent communities of their deserved service which is likely to be affected by resources that were deliberately damaged as it happened with these cars.” -ANA

 

(File Photo: Gallo Images)