1 November 2011
Benoni City Times journalist Michael Ferguson was
investigating complaints of police-brutality when he was arrested…
– the ridiculous charge against the journalist
was dropped after local community-leaders intervened.
28 October 2011 – Benoni – An investigation into the conduct of an
unidentified Daveyton EMPD police officer is being conducted by their own
internal ‘Integrity and Standards Unit’ after City Times journalist Michael Ferguson
was illegally arrested while investigating charges of police-brutality against
a local resident. After local community leaders intervened, Ferguson was
released and the formal charges of (sic:) Ferguson of ‘interference to and
officer performing his duty and taking him a photo’, were dropped.
Is this a legal charge? “Interference to and
officer performing his duty and taking him a photo’ (sic)
Picture: the charge against the journalist was
dropped after local community leaders intervened: he was being charged with,
Quote: “interference to and officer performing his duty
and taking him a photo…’
_______________________
City Times journalist Sandile van Heerden writes that ‘the officer in
question could face charges of intimidation and unlawful arrest, among others.”
The arrest occurred after the City Times received a call to report police
brutality at the intersection of Bunyan Street and Lake Avenue in the Benoni CBD late on Thursday morning.
Hostile cop freaked out when Ferguson took
photographs:
“When City Times journalist Michael Ferguson arrived at the scene he
approached the officer in question, but was ignored until he began taking
photographs. The officer was hostile and treated me as if I did not
exist,” he said. “When I started taking photographs he completely freaked out.
He was shouting and screaming and he and his partner grabbed me, ripped my
camera out of my hands, handcuffed me and threw me in the back of their van.”
Ferguson was apprehended by the officer in question and his ‘partner’,
who was however not a member of the metropolitan-police force, but instead
apparently is a member of the regular Daveyton SAPD instead.
Ferguson’s camera was confiscated, he was handcuffed and was placed in
the back of a small van — where he then was held for three and a half hours.
A member of the community alerted the newspaper again- this time to warn them that their journalist had been arrested.
A member of the community alerted the newspaper again- this time to warn them that their journalist had been arrested.
Ferguson was trying to cover a ‘struggle between
a staff member at a business and a police officer over a parking row’
It is reported that the officer and his partner had an argument with the
owner of a nearby business regarding one of their trucks parked in the road. It
was also reported that a struggle between a staff member of the business and
the officer ensued, resulting in the staff member’s shirt being ripped open.
The City Times, members of the community policing forum, SAPS and ward
councillor Mary Goby all attended the scene to see what was happening. The
officer in question, dressed in an EMPD T-shirt, refused to identify himself to
the City Times and other community members. He also refused to take a
call from the EMPD’s head in Benoni, Supt Jacques Voster, saying; “He is not my
boss.”
Sandile van Heerden noted that the only comment the officer had on
Ferguson’s arrest, was that the journalist ‘was being detained for
“interfering”, but that the policeman would not elaborate. Van Heerden:
“Ferguson was then taken to the Benoni Police Station by the officer, to have
charges laid against him. CEO of the Benoni citizen-policing-forum Reza Patel
then arrived on the scene and in turn contacted metropolitian police
chief-superintendent Hennie Erasmus of the Integrity and Standards Unit, to
request his assistance in the matter. Erasmus arrived and took contact details
from those on the scene, including the officer, and promised to conduct a
thorough investigation into the matter.
The metro-cop’s partner later vanished and according to Van Heerden, ‘is
said to be a member of the Daveyton SAPS. Erasmus reportedly said that ‘the
accomplice will not be investigated by the EMPD, but will, instead, be reported
to the SAPS.”
The charges against Ferguson: “Interference to, and [sic] officer
performing his duty and taking him a photo,” were later dropped.
http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/benoni/benoni-news-general?oid=4806178&sn=Detail&pid=40&EMPD-officer-under-investigation-after-arresting-journalist
http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/benoni/benoni-news-general?oid=4806178&sn=Detail&pid=40&EMPD-officer-under-investigation-after-arresting-journalist
