A man caught on video assaulting a police officer in Springs in the East Rand, Gauteng, has been arrested and charged.
In the video that went viral on Wednesday, the man can be seen slapping and pushing a male police officer whilst a female officer tried to calm him down.
The police officer, who eventually drew his pistol, can be seen trying to get away from his attacker and another man can be heard daring the police officer to use the firearm.
The two officers were patrolling the area when they spotted a group of men drinking alcohol in a public place.
One of the officers apparently asked why they were drinking in public and that is when the pandemonium broke.
As the suspect continuously slapped the police officer, the man who was daring the police officer to use his gun can be heard saying in IsiNdebele:
“Leave him Bafana… There is no public drinking in this world. We bought this alcohol”.
According to police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, the suspect fled the scene after the incident but backup was called later in the evening.
“It is reported that two members on routine patrol came across about five people drinking in public”, Muridili said.
“When the police warned them about public drinking, one of the men turned on the male police officer. The suspect then fled the scene. Back-up was called and the suspect was arrested later in the evening,” she added.
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Muridili said the suspect has been charged with assaulting a police officer.
The incident sparked wide condemnation on social media platforms, with people saying this sort of violence against law enforcement agents was unwarranted and called for the perpetrator to be dealt with.
Others labelled the officers unreasonable, asking if public drinking was still a crime and whether the country was still under level 5 lockdown to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Muridili said the suspect will appear before the Springs Magistrates Court on Thursday.
