'He called me a filthy white b****'
Vital evidence captured on CCTV cameras on Sea Point Main Road could reveal exactly what happened when a metro police officer allegedly assaulted a woman after her dog defecated on the street.
Deirdre O'Neill, 49, of Sea Point, has now laid an assault charge against the metro officer.
The confrontation occurred on Tuesday morning while she was walking her daughter's Jack Russell puppy, Dogmatix.
She said he had demanded she pick up the "dogs***", headlocked her and rammed her into a nearby wall, shoving and "chucking" her into the police vehicle after she refused to go with him.
Metro Police spokesperson Kevin Maxwell confirmed that an internal investigation was under way and said video footage from the CCTV cameras would be made available to police on request.
"We have an agreement with SAPS that if they believed they needed CCTV footage they were free to use it," he said.
The CCTV cameras on Sea Point Main Road were "in 100 percent working order".
The metro cop has been identified, as he was the arresting officer, and has since returned to work.
"The officer has not been suspended, because we are still investigating and looking at the merits of the complaints laid against him," Maxwell said.
O'Neill laid a charge of assault at the Sea Point police station.
O'Neill charged that during the alleged attack, the officer had also verbally abused her as he demanded she clean up after the puppy defecated on the street.
She said Dogmatix had already defecated once and she had used her doggy-doo bag.
"(The Metro cop) was so aggressive; he called me a filthy white b****," she said.
O'Neill had been due to appear in the Cape Town magistrate's court on Wednesday on charges of riotous behaviour and obstructing an officer in his duties, but the State withdrew the charges.
...AND ARE CORRUPT- SOCIALIZING WITH CRIMINALS-
Cops socialise with gangsters - on video
As part of its case against police inspector Sydney Simpson, the State plans to show the court a video of police officers rubbing shoulders with gangsters in a nightclub.
The video had been flighted on national television and relates to the implication of Simpson, who is accused of taking bribes from an alleged gang boss Christopher "Ougat" Patterson.
Simpson has been on trial in the Cape Town Regional Court for almost three years since his arrest.
On Wednesday, State advocate Mornay Julius said he would be calling police inspector Piet Viljoen to testify on the statements taken from various witnesses as well as a video.
Julius also asked that the matter be postponed until on Wednesday for Viljoen to be available because he was busy with another "delicate matter".
Simpson's attorney John Riley said viewing the video would be a waste of court time.
"The video is insignificant; it is inflammatory towards my client and is a subsidiary to make the police look bad."
Riley said the video showed several police officers socialising with gangsters at an end-of-year function at a night club - the G-Spot in Epping.
Riley said police officers would have various reasons to mix with gangsters and that the tape would be irrelevant to the court's proceedings.
"They could be infiltrating and trying to investigate them," he said.
Magistrate Eric Mbiyo said he could not bar a party from calling a witness and that while the State and the defence knew the contents of Viljoen's statement, he did not.
Riley also asked that Viljoen bring the criminal profiles of all the State witnesses, who included Patterson, his son Ashley Patterson and Lawrence Williams.
Simpson was arrested on May 17, 2005 after he was allegedly paid to support the release of Patterson's son, charged with armed robbery, on bail.
Williams, a close friend of Patterson, is awaiting trial on an attempted murder charge.
Simpson's trial continues on Thursday.
AND THEY STEAL....
Detectives suspended over alleged meat theft
Police confirmed that three suspects, Monray Prag, Joseph Wildebees and Raymond Williams, appeared at the Wynberg magistrate's court this week on theft charges.
They were granted bail of R1 500 each and the case was postponed until May 14, according to police spokesman Billy Jones.
Jones confirmed that Claremont Police arrested the two police constables, Prag, 28, and Wildebees, 32, who worked as detectives at the Mitchells Plain Police station at their respective homes in Eerste River and Mitchells Plain at the weekend.
Jones said the driver of a meat delivery truck who was delivering at a supermarket in Kenilworth reported the truck stolen to the Claremont Police, last Tuesday.
He said the abandoned truck was recovered later that afternoon in the Blue Downs area.
The meat, which was valued at R100 000, was missing.
"Investigations established that the truck was taken by the assistant or co-driver of the truck," said Jones.
It is alleged that the co-driver, Williams, 28, and two on-duty police detectives drove the truck to various houses in Eerste River and Mitchells Plain where they allegedly dropped off and also sold the meat, said Jones.
"We have instituted disciplinary procedures against these members.
"Notices of suspension will be served on these members soon," said Jones.
Cops chase down cops
Superintendent Louis Jacobs said the autoteller machine (ATM) was bombed around 2am on Wednesday in Jouberton.
Police on patrol saw a white BMW driving away from the scene.
A notice was sent to nearby police stations and Klerksdorp police spotted the vehicle.
The police chased the BMW and were shot at by a person or people inside the car.
No one was injured during the shooting.
The BMW then drove on to the R30 road between Ventersdorp and Klerksdorp.
Members of the Ventersdorp police closed the road.
The BMW then drove onto a dirt road and came to a halt in a field.
Police arrested one man close to where the car had been abandoned.
He was a 26-year-old police constable from Mogwase near Rustenburg.
On Wednesday night and Thursday morning police arrested two more men in Jouberton.
One of those arrested was a 30-year-old police constable of the Klerksdorp detectives division.
Soon afterwards police arrested two more men in Mogwase.
One of those arrested was a 30-year-old constable of the Mogwase uniformed division.
One person wanted by police in connection with the bombing was still at large, said Jacobs.
The five would be charged with malicious damage to property, two counts of attempted murder, theft of cash and intentional detonation of explosives. Investigations were continuing.
All three police officers have been suspended. Bail would be strongly opposed, said Jacobs.
The five men would be appearing before the Klerksdorp Magistrate's Court on Monday.
North-West Provincial police Commissioner, Lesetja Beetha, said any police officers caught assisting criminals or involved in criminal activities would be dealt with accordingly. - Sapa
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