A man has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a police officer following a confrontation in Springs on the East Rand on Tuesday, Gauteng police said.
The incident was captured on video and subsequently went viral on social media.
Brigadier Brenda Mudirili, South African Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson, said the incident occurred while two members were conducting a routine patrol when they came across five men drinking in public.
“When the police warned them about public drinking, one of the men turned on the male police officer. The suspect then fled the scene. Back-up was called, and the suspect was arrested later in the evening,” Mudirili said.
In the 470-second video, two police officers are seen approaching a group of men standing under a tree. One of the civilians strikes the officer and begins pushing him around the police van.
The officer proceeds to remove his firearm, but this does not deter the man from throwing punches at him.
His friends try to remove him from the situation while the other police officer intervenes. The man tries to continue with his assault and the person recording the video can be heard saying that man should let the officer go in isiZulu.
There is also a squabble about the fact that the man bought alcohol with their own money.
The officers are then seen getting ack into the police van.
The incident allegedly happened in Springs in the East Rand and the video was viewed more than 15 thousand times.
Mudirili said the man was charged with assaulting a police officer and is expected to appear in the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Source: News24, IOL, The South African, image from Twitter: Screenshot from video