Durban — A member of the community policing forum is expected to meet senior Durban police officers over the treatment of a victim who allegedly shot a robber who snatched his phone on Florida Road.
The 31-year-old victim, whose name is being withheld, is expected to make his first court appearance at the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Thursday on charges of attempted murder.
Police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said that on Tuesday night a 27-year-old man was shot between Florida Road and Lambert Road in Morningside.
“It is alleged the injured victim was attempting to rob the arrested suspect. The suspect drew his firearm and shot the victim in the arm and back,” Ngcobo said.
She said Berea police were investigating the incident.
Zain Soosiwala, spokesperson for eThekwini Secure, a private security company, said a man had alighted from a white Toyota Etios and walked up to the restaurant where the robber allegedly grabbed the victim’s phone.
“This particular crime is prevalent in most parts of Durban and recently Florida Road. The victim ran after the robber with the intention of getting his phone back. It is alleged that when he approached the vehicle and while the robber was trying to get in, a knife was pointed at him. The victim allegedly drew his firearm and shot him in self-defence. The car drove off, leaving the robber behind,” he said.
Soosiwala said several cases with the same modus operandi have been reported to police over a period.
“What the CPF is disgusted at is the treatment police meted out to the victim of the robbery. The police did not handle the crime scene properly and contaminated vital evidence. It is appalling. The victim suffered an anxiety attack and was rushed to hospital, where he was sedated,” Soosiwala said.
The victim was released into his parents’ custody, but Soosiwala claims police arrived in the early hours and carried him out of the house and placed him in a police cell.
“Surprisingly, they did not put the robber under police guard and treated him with kid gloves. The incident became a personal attack on the CPF for questioning the way the scene was handled. There were also racial remarks made,” he said.
Soosiwala said a case would be lodged with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate on Thursday.
Emer-G-Med Paramedics said a man sustained a gunshot wound to his arm and was treated and stabilised before being taken to hospital.
On Facebook, Ground Z3ro search and rescue posted a video of a cellphone being snatched from a restaurant patron who was seated with others around a table on June 3.
The video shows an unidentified man grabbing the phone.
Daily News