Keltria
02-25-2005, 01:33 PM
Highway chaos as prisoner escapes
Cindy Zeilhofer
February 24 2005 at 11:07AM
Chaos reigned on the Ben Schoeman highway in Pretoria on Wednesday after two police officers were seriously injured when they were attacked by a prisoner they were transporting from Pretoria to Johannesburg.
One police officer was stabbed in the back and the prisoner then managed to wrest the officer's firearm from him. He allegedly shot the other police officer in the neck.
The 30-year-old prisoner, whose name has not been disclosed, was being taken from Pretoria local prison to the Johannesburg magistrate's court where he was to appear on charges of attempted murder and armed robbery.
A sergeant and a constable from Yeoville police station were transporting him in a Ford Ikon that had no protective partitioning between the front and back seats.
It is believed the suspect had been placed in leg-irons but that his hands were free.
Officials said the suspect had a knife and somehow managed to remove his leg-irons while he was in the car just as they were approaching the N1/Krugersdorp highway interchange.
Tow-truck driver Charles Seeley, who was driving behind the police car, said the suspect leapt from the vehicle after it came to a halt, brandishing the firearm. He started firing randomly into the embankment, bridge and tarmac.
The suspect then ran across the highway and disappeared into the veld.
Eyewitness Barend Swanepoel said he saw smoke coming from the vehicle and at first thought there had been an accident. But he changed his mind when he heard the gunshots.
"Judging by the skid marks, which are more than 100m long, the driver must have slammed on the brakes when something happened inside the vehicle," he said.
By chance, two members of the elite Special Task Force were driving a few metres ahead of the vehicle carrying the suspect.
They apparently chased after the suspect. The police airwing was also called to the scene and the suspect was tracked down to Hennops industrial estate, where he was re-arrested.
The two officers were taken to Unitas hospital, where they are said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Police inspector Percy Morokane said the prisoner had been handcuffed but officials on the scene denied this. His leg-irons were found in the police vehicle.
Metro officials closed the southbound section of the highway for several hours. Traffic was backed up from Nelson Mandela Drive heading towards Centurion, and Christina de Wit Drive at the Fountains Circle was closed off.
Gauteng police Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said there would be both criminal and internal investigations.
Morokane said the suspect would face an additional charge of escape from lawful custody. A separate docket would be added to his existing attempted murder charge.
Cindy Zeilhofer
February 24 2005 at 11:07AM
Chaos reigned on the Ben Schoeman highway in Pretoria on Wednesday after two police officers were seriously injured when they were attacked by a prisoner they were transporting from Pretoria to Johannesburg.
One police officer was stabbed in the back and the prisoner then managed to wrest the officer's firearm from him. He allegedly shot the other police officer in the neck.
The 30-year-old prisoner, whose name has not been disclosed, was being taken from Pretoria local prison to the Johannesburg magistrate's court where he was to appear on charges of attempted murder and armed robbery.
A sergeant and a constable from Yeoville police station were transporting him in a Ford Ikon that had no protective partitioning between the front and back seats.
It is believed the suspect had been placed in leg-irons but that his hands were free.
Officials said the suspect had a knife and somehow managed to remove his leg-irons while he was in the car just as they were approaching the N1/Krugersdorp highway interchange.
Tow-truck driver Charles Seeley, who was driving behind the police car, said the suspect leapt from the vehicle after it came to a halt, brandishing the firearm. He started firing randomly into the embankment, bridge and tarmac.
The suspect then ran across the highway and disappeared into the veld.
Eyewitness Barend Swanepoel said he saw smoke coming from the vehicle and at first thought there had been an accident. But he changed his mind when he heard the gunshots.
"Judging by the skid marks, which are more than 100m long, the driver must have slammed on the brakes when something happened inside the vehicle," he said.
By chance, two members of the elite Special Task Force were driving a few metres ahead of the vehicle carrying the suspect.
They apparently chased after the suspect. The police airwing was also called to the scene and the suspect was tracked down to Hennops industrial estate, where he was re-arrested.
The two officers were taken to Unitas hospital, where they are said to be in a serious but stable condition.
Police inspector Percy Morokane said the prisoner had been handcuffed but officials on the scene denied this. His leg-irons were found in the police vehicle.
Metro officials closed the southbound section of the highway for several hours. Traffic was backed up from Nelson Mandela Drive heading towards Centurion, and Christina de Wit Drive at the Fountains Circle was closed off.
Gauteng police Senior Superintendent Mary Martins-Engelbrecht said there would be both criminal and internal investigations.
Morokane said the suspect would face an additional charge of escape from lawful custody. A separate docket would be added to his existing attempted murder charge.