More police brutality reported
Mr Merchant Mumford is the second person in recent weeks to open a case of assault against officers from the Edenvale SAPS.
04 April 2012 | Charmaine Slater
Mr Mumford admits to assaulting police officers and told looklocal: “I do not deny that I can be difficult but why did the officers have to torture me, why did they have to burn me”.
Following the incident which took place on March 7, Mr Mumford had to have his broken jaw wired shut and is still in pain.
On March 7, Mr Mumford was out having a few drinks at a pub in Eastleigh.
“After leaving the pub I stopped at the Engen Garage opposite Eastleigh Primary School, to get a pie before heading home,” Mr Mumford told looklocal.
“At the petrol station I got into an argument with an off-duty reaction officer. Soon other reaction officers from the same company arrived followed by officers from the Edenvale SAPS.
“The officers were driving a Sector 2 vehicle and a SAPS bakkie,” Mr Mumford said.
“The officers roughed me up, handcuffed and pepper sprayed me,” he said.
He added that the officers then took his cellular phone and started calling several numbers including his parents and sister.
“I would not give them my address because I did not feel safe. Eventually they got the address of where I stay and they took me home. It was only when we got to my home that I managed to see properly again because the pepper spray had worn off. I was bleeding quite badly,” Mr Mumford said.
“I recognised one of the officers and said to him that he had been the one who assaulted me and then I head-butted him. The officers then roughed me up more. I admit I was wrong I should not have assaulted the police officer and I also admit that I was intoxicated at the time,” Mr Mumford said.
“One of the officers then slapped me and I fell to the ground and another officer kicked me in the ribs. The officers then put me back in the police van. They took the spare wheel off the bottom of the bakkie and put it inside the back of the bakkie with me,” Mr Mumford said.
He was then taken back to the filling station where his car was so that a police officer could drive the vehicle back to the Edenvale Police Station
“I did not want anyone to drive my car because my entire salary was in the car. It was all the money that I had and I could not afford for it to go missing.
“When we got to the police station, the officers put me in a holding cell by myself. They pushed me to the floor so that I was lying on my stomach and then picked me up by the handcuffs. They then burnt me with cigarettes on my chest and back and pepper sprayed me so many times I lost count.
“When they released me I went for the two officers, I took them both on and fought with them both and they then beat me some more before putting me in a cell with other men,” Mr Mumford said.
According to Mr Mumford he sustained a broken jaw, injury to his eye, bruises to his arms and legs, 10 burn wounds to his back and several more on his chest.
“I am not angry that they roughed me up, I know I was in the wrong. I should not have assaulted the police officer, but why the torture? Why did they have to burn me with cigarettes?
“I am not some terrorist. I will not deny that there may also have been racial slurs thrown around,” he said.
When he was released the next day the only charge against him was for being drunk and disorderly.
“When I went to the car to fetch my wallet to pay the fine so that I could be released my wallet was gone and so was my salary,” Mr Mumford said.
He added that he has opened a case of assault against the officers.
Acting spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, said that the matter is currently under stringent investigation.
“We cannot comment on the matter until the outcome of the investigation has been decided,” Lt Col Roberts said.
The national spokesperson for the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), Mr Moses Dlamini, said that members of the SAPS are not above the law.
“Should it be found that their actions are in contravention of the laws of the country, action will be taken.
“Obviously the first thing is to investigate and establish the facts in these matters,” Mr Dlamini said.
“When we got to the police station, the officers put me in a holding cell by myself. They pushed me to the floor so that I was lying on my stomach and then picked me up by the handcuffs. They then burnt me with cigarettes on my chest and back and pepper sprayed me so many times I lost count.
“When they released me I went for the two officers, I took them both on and fought with them both and they then beat me some more before putting me in a cell with other men,” Mr Mumford said.
According to Mr Mumford he sustained a broken jaw, injury to his eye, bruises to his arms and legs, 10 burn wounds to his back and several more on his chest.
“I am not angry that they roughed me up, I know I was in the wrong. I should not have assaulted the police officer, but why the torture? Why did they have to burn me with cigarettes?
“I am not some terrorist. I will not deny that there may also have been racial slurs thrown around,” he said.
When he was released the next day the only charge against him was for being drunk and disorderly.
“When I went to the car to fetch my wallet to pay the fine so that I could be released my wallet was gone and so was my salary,” Mr Mumford said.
He added that he has opened a case of assault against the officers.
Acting spokesperson for the Edenvale SAPS, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts, said that the matter is currently under stringent investigation.
“We cannot comment on the matter until the outcome of the investigation has been decided,” Lt Col Roberts said.
The national spokesperson for the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), Mr Moses Dlamini, said that members of the SAPS are not above the law.
“Should it be found that their actions are in contravention of the laws of the country, action will be taken.
“Obviously the first thing is to investigate and establish the facts in these matters,” Mr Dlamini said.
