Page 2 article in Fourways Review, week ending 22 January 2016, refers.
Read Motorist challenges the law
Your question whether readers think that it is illegal to carry a pellet gun in a car is completely irrelevant. What people think and what the law says are two completely different and separate issues.
Although people might feel that it is illegal to carry a pellet gun in your car, there is nothing in the law that prohibits you from transporting a pellet gun in your car for a lawful purpose.
Perhaps [Metro police] Chief Superintendent, Wayne Minnaar should take a refresher course on the law as he clearly is misdirected in his support of the officer who confiscated the pellet gun from the motorist.
His contention that, “It was not illegal to confiscate a gun provided that the officer on duty was under the impression the gun was harmful,” is just another example of how little he actually knows about the law or how he is trying to cover for the unlawful conduct of his officers.
Air rifles, firearms by their very nature, are harmful if used incorrectly, but so are cars.
What would a Metro officer do if Sally Gilmore had a knife in the glove compartment of her car or a wheel spanner in the boot?
Read Never argue with a police officer, urges JMPD
Both these items can be very harmful, but remain very useful tools in everyday life.
Since when can a Metro or police officer just confiscate a gun for the purpose of investigations?
What has happened to reasonable suspicion that a crime had been committed, is about to be committed or that the gun in question was used in the commission of an offence?
Has Sally Gilmore been charged with a criminal offence in respect of the pellet gun?
Was she given a receipt by the officer that contained his signature, her signature, and the officer’s badge number, contacting details and a reference number for the pellet gun that he had confiscated?
Was the pellet gun booked into the exhibit register of the police station closest to where the pellet gun was confiscated? If so, when? The same day or only after Fourways Review started asking questions?
Sally Gilmore must urgently speak to an attorney. It is frightening that Metro police officers with so little knowledge and understanding of the law can be let loose on the public!
