THE acting Tshwane District Police Commissioner, Brigadier Samuel Thine, has condemned the stabbing of a police officer by a thug on Saturday, 23 July.
The officer was based at Temba Police Station in Hammanskraal, north of Tshwane.
Thine said the injured cop was stabbed with a bottle and his firearm was stolen by the male suspect, who was arrested later in the day in Temba.
“The officer was attending a funeral in the area and when he went to the shop, he was stabbed with a bottle.
“We activated crime intelligence to follow through the information and one suspect was arrested in possession of that firearm,” he said.
Thine said the suspect will face charges of assault, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as robbery.
He said the suspect will appear in the Temba Magistrates Court on Monday, 25 July.
Thine admitted that there are attacks on police officers when police are busy with operations and people who don’t want to be arrested end up attacking police, although it’s not daily.
He appealed to communities to avoid drinking in illegal shebeens, especially after an incident in Ga-Rankuwa where two people were shot dead and seven were wounded.
He said police closed the illegal shebeen in Ga-Rankuwa. Thine also said patrons must not stay in taverns after closing times.
Thine led Operation O Kae Molao on Saturday night in Mamelodi East, Tshwane.
He said Mamelodi is identified as a high crime zone and that it is contributing to the high crime stats and is among the top 30 in terms of national crime statistics.
