A member of the police’s Flying Squad is being investigated for allegedly pointing an R5 rifle at the head of a community worker.
|||Cape Town - A member of the police’s Flying Squad is being investigated for allegedly pointing an R5 rifle at the head of a community worker.
Senior researcher and project manager for the Sustainable Livelihoods Foundation (SLF), Nabeel Petersen, has lodged a formal complaint against police officer Nico Loubser.
Police confirmed Loubser was being probed.
Petersen alleged that Loubser pointed an R5 rifle at his head on September 9, 2015 at a spaza shop near G-section, Sweet Home Farm, in Philippi.
He said Loubser told him that dagga was being sold at a house near the spaza shop.
A week after the incident, Petersen lodged a complaint at Gugulethu police station.
Petersen said the foundation had been busy with a community safety project in Philippi, which focused on visual signs and rules that could be adopted by business owners to create safer environments for their customers.
“I visited many of these business owners to speak to them about their progress on the project as it was initiated by them,” Petersen said.
“I visited one businessman in G-section, Sweet Home Farm.
“He is a man that has had a stroke recently and in effect his wife runs the business as he is somewhat incapacitated.
“As we were talking, I left with one youth to go to a local spaza shop for a soft drink.
“As I entered the road, a policeman ran up to me and pointed his R5 gun directly at my head, execution-style.
“His partner was inside a house nearby and I was later told that dagga gets sold from that house.”
He said Loubser then asked him to raise his hands and began searching him.
“At that point, I asked him why I’m being treated this way. He laughed in my face,” Petersen said.
“His partner arrived and laughed too.
“He asked me what I’m doing in the community and I replied ‘I’m a professional researcher’.
“He then took a step back and asked ‘what are you researching’ and I replied, ‘This. Community safety, business development and police brutality’,” Petersen added.
He said the two police officers then allegedly forced him into a nearby shop and told him to wait there.
“They assured me they would come back, but as soon as I entered the shop they drove off,” he said.
Petersen said he visited three police stations in the vicinity to obtain Loubser’s identity and was later contacted by a detective from Gugulethu police station, who confirmed Loubser was a member of the flying squad.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said: “A case of pointing of a firearm has been opened for investigation.
“There are no new developments to report. The investigation is ongoing.”
carlo.petersen@inl.co.za
@carlo_petersen
Cape Times