Noxolo Miya
Pretoria - The family of 38-year-old Algin Adams is seeking answers from the SAPS after he was beaten up, allegedly by one of its officers, at his home.
According to his sister Jasmine Nolan, Adams was hallucinating and “running away from people he thought were going to kill” him.
“He was not in his right state of mind under the influence of drugs. He ran from home out of the yard on Sunday at 4am and ended up on the property of an officer from Eersterust police station. He was then assaulted by the officer, her son and his two friends,” said Nolan.
The family said the officer held him hostage in her yard for five hours while they begged for his release. They claimed she refused to open the gate, even when other members of the community came looking for him.
“It was her yard. He told her he was running away, but she and her family became aggressive and assaulted him. The Eersterust police were called but they never showed up.”
The family said Adams was in hospital and in a state of distress. “He is stable but critical and very confused. He suffered a broken jaw, swollen face, blackened eyes and bruises,” said Nolan.
Nolan said Adams’ mother went to lodge a complaint at Eersterust police station, and although she was met with indifference and hostility, a case was eventually opened against the officer.
Another family member, Jasmine Nolan, said: “An investigation officer came to see us, gave us the case number and also told us the matter would be referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.”
The SAPS was approached for comment but has yet to do so.
Virginia Keppler-Young of the Parents Against Drugs movement in Eersterust said: “We are appalled by the gruesome attack on the victim. Eersterust has a huge drug problem, and the police in the community are fully aware of it and their failure to combat it.
“If a police officer who is supposed to know the law better than any citizen can behave with such brutality instead of enforcing the law, one can only come to the conclusion that the residents of Eersterust are in danger,” said Keppler-Young.
“We demand that the law takes its course against this police officer as no one is above the law. For the officer to keep the victim ‘hostage’ inside her property without calling in other law enforcement agents speaks of the state of Eersterust police station.”
Pretoria News