A THIEF was caught red handed with the timely assistance of an Enforce reaction officer and the “men in red” sidewalk monitors recently.
Enforce's Nkhanyiso Zondi said he heard that a theft had occurred at a supermarket on Florida Road over the radio and drove towards the action as sidewalk monitors dispatched the direction the suspect was traveling in. “When I got near the supermarket I saw the public and sidewalk monitors had gathered and that the suspects were carrying a knife. I got out of my vehicle, took my baton and ran down Ninth Avenue after the two suspects. When I got close to the one he tried to attack me with his knife and threatened me. He said he will stab me if I came closer. When I tried again to get him he tried to stab me but just then two vehicles which were passing stopped and one of the motorists fired a warning shot. The suspect tried to stab me while I tried to pry the knife out of his hand. A second warning shot was fired by the motorists and they drove off. Just then I managed to force the knife from the suspect's hand,” Zondi explained.
Zondi cuffed the suspect and took him back to the supermarket where he was positively identified on CCTV footage, a backpack full of items taken was also recovered.
Florida Road UIP precinct manager, Jarrod Evans said he was happy with the combined effort that resulted in a good arrest. “The sidewalk monitors work together alerting UIP patrol to any situations on the radio and the linked communication is a deterrent to criminal elements,” he added.
