Three
siblings violently assaulted by local Metro police (Video)
Disturbing video footage of police brutality against three
siblings.
Lauren
Beukes | 7 February 2015 10:09
Ashie, Shelina and Nolene Outar, who were left
traumatised following the incident.
Shocking video footage of apparent
police brutality meted out to three siblings by officers believed to be Metro
cops, has left the family severely traumatised and their faith in the men and
women in blue, shattered.
The alleged victims, Ashie (36),
Nolene (24) and Shelina (33) Outar whose father, 55-year-old, Tony Outar is the
owner of Tony’s Car Sales, a liquor store and Tony’s Sports Bar and Restaurant
claim they were assaulted by Metro Police officers over an initial dispute
about a parking space.
Speaking to the Rising Sun, Ashie
said, “When I arrived at our business premises I found that a Metro police
vehicle was parked in my private parking space so I parked behind that vehicle.
I then discovered that the policewoman had proceeded to park in my space
despite being told not to do so. She apparently went to conduct her own errands
at the local hardware store next door.”
Ashie said he then went inside to
have lunch and was later called out by the employees to move his car. “When I
came out they had their sirens on and the one lady was busy writing up a ticket
for me, she then confronted me and said, ‘Do you have any common sense?’ At
that point I told her that she was advised not to park there. She rudely
replied to me that police officers can park wherever they feel like parking,”
he added.
Ashie said that with that statement
the police officer walked away and proceeded to issue his ticket which she
threw into his vehicle. “I was shocked at the disrespect that she displayed so
I got into my car and crumpled up the ticket and threw it out,” Outar said. The
policewoman then picked up the ticket and stuck it in between the windscreen
wiper, which Outar said he wiped away. “Looking furious, the policewoman
reached into my car and slapped me and called me a f***king C**lie,” said the
angry businessman.
One of his sisters, Nolene Outar, who
witnessed the incident tried to intervene. “I asked the two female cops why
they hit my brother and for no reason one of the cops grabbed me by the hair
and pulled out a clump of my hair while the other pulled out her gun,” the
terrified sister related. As the situation intensified two more police vehicles
arrived and parked on the main road. “My brother tried to explain the problem
to the other cops but he was met with hostility,” the sister added.
In a matter of minutes a crowd had
gathered and watched the scuffle and ranting between the siblings and the
police officers. According to Ash, a policeman allegedly shouted at him before
pushing him into a police van. “He said to me, ‘Hey you, you hit the
policewoman! Then he pushed me into the van and slapped me around, once I was
in the van another policemen picked up a baton and smacked me across the neck,”
Ash said.
The third sibling, Shelina Outar, who
was upstairs in the family’s business premises, took pictures of the incident
as it unfolded which drew the attention of the group of police officers. “When
they saw me they started lunging toward me and they tried to grab the phone out
of my hand but I quickly gave the phone to my eight-year-old niece and told her
to run,” said the visibly shaken sister. It is alleged that the police then
pulled her and escorted her to the police van where her brother was shoved in.
The drama did not stop there as they entered the sports bar and restaurant
premises allegedly without a warrant, and searched furiously for Nolene who was
in the kitchen area. “They entered the building and my mother tried to stop
them from entering but they pushed through and forcibly opened the kitchen door
where two of the policemen held me against the wall while the one policewoman
slapped me across the face,” said the assaulted sister. The alleged violent
actions of the police officers can be viewed on the video footage that the
Rising Sun has in its possession.
Nolene Outar shows the handful of hair that was allegedly yanked off her
scalp by the violent Metro police officers.
The policemen apparently continued
the assault and dragged Nolene out of the room, throwing on to the couch where
the policewoman slapped her again. “The one policeman pulled me from the sofa
and twisted my wrists to handcuff me. My hand was badly swollen that I was
forced to cut off my Lutchmee (Hindu goddess) string. I was broken when I had
to do that,” the young woman added. The policemen are alleged to have pushed
her out of the building but the more she struggled the more policemen and women
joined into to forcibly push her out of the building and into the police van
with her siblings.
Nolene endured many injuries.
The three siblings were charged for
resisting arrest and assault. “The entire episode was painful and emotionally
distressing. I have never in my life allowed an unknown man to handle me or
touch me the way those male cops did. They completely violated my rights as a
woman and treated me so disrespectfully and violently without legitimate
reason,” the injured woman said.
Nolene’s bruised hand.
Witnesses on the scene said the
entire incident was appalling especially the manner in which the young woman
was manhandled. “Policemen are not allowed to touch women; it’s a violation of
their rights and to be so brutal in front of the public including children, is
despicable. What kind of message are they trying to send out? Just by viewing
that scene, I question my faith in some police officers,” an elderly witnessed
added.
Watch the video here:
Father of the siblings, Tony Outar
expressed his anger and frustration at the violent incident and the attack on
his children. “This was victimisation and the police abused their power to
violently assault my children. Not only did they display their brute strength
but the commotion that they caused negatively affected my business as we had to
close up all the shops to sort out the matter. We did not break any law. These
police officers acted out because of a personal grievance. This is my business,
my private property. They had no right to do this and we will not rest until
those officers who abused their position and power are dealt with effectively
by the justice system,” the angry father added.
The case was reported at Isipingo
SAPS. The communications officer at Isipingo SAPS, Captain Ragavan, said, “We
can confirm that a case has been opened at our station and the matter is being
investigated.”
Numerous efforts to retrieve a
comment from Metro Police communications officer, Eugene Msomi, proved unsuccessful.
