Two detectives from Chatsworth were injured after they came under attack from a marauding crowd while doing a scene point-out with a murder suspect in Mawelewele settlement near Savannah Park on Friday morning.
The two cops were part of a group of police officers who were performing a scene point-out with the murder suspect when they came under attack.
The pointing-out of crime scenes by a suspect is an important part of the investigation which is done to support confessions and admission. The pointings-out of crime scenes happen when suspects are taken to an alleged crime scene to inform the police about what had happened.
A crowd quickly gathered at the scene and started pelting the SAPS members with stones and bricks as they reportedly tried to free the suspect.
The members were forced to retreat into their vehicles and flee from the crowd. As they fled, the crowd chased after them and continued to stone the vehicles.
Read also: Sydenham calls for more police after suspected drug lord is killed in a hit
Videos of the attack, which DurbanSun has seen, show the police vehicles speeding away from the crowd.
The cars navigate through a barricade of tyres on the road dangerously swerving to avoid being trapped.
A police VW Amarok double-cab then crashes into a house after the driver lost control on a curve.
Five more police vehicles were damaged in the attack.
Two detectives and a member of the public were injured in the fracas.
It was not immediately clear if the crowd wanted to free the suspect so they could mete out public justice on him or for other reasons.
Savannah Park, Chatsworth, Durban last night. Police came under attack after they took a suspect for a pointing out. A group of people tried to take the suspect. pic.twitter.com/GaIo6kh6Kn
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) October 28, 2022