Five suspects are expected to appear before the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court today after being captured on video allegedly assaulting a police officer in Eden Park in Alberton, Johannesburg.

A video circulating on social media shows a scuffle between community members and police on patrol in the area on October 12.

🩸High cop shoots live ammo at frustrated community members.🩸
They are threatened and even shot at by a SAPS member allegedly high or under the influence of alcohol in uniform.
This was apparently in Eden Park in Ekurhuleni earlier today. So much wrong in this video in how… pic.twitter.com/wk78JjQUL2

— Ian Cameron (@IanCameron23) October 12, 2023

The incident has been condemned by Gauteng police commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela.

Brigadier Brenda Muridili of the Gauteng police says the suspects, between the ages of 32 and 57, will be charged with obstructing police in the execution of their duties, attack on police officers, assault on police officers, and attempted robbery of a firearm; and the driver will face an additional charge of reckless and negligent driving.

Mawela reiterated that those who seek to undermine the authority of the State will be dealt with decisively.

According to Thebe Khumalo, the senior media specialist at the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, allegations are that the police officers were in the area to collect bribes from drug dealers, and might have also been highly intoxicated.

This is an allegation the committee is taking seriously, he says.

“The committee has therefore resolved to write to the provincial police commissioner requesting a report on the incident, and should it be found that these police officers were involved in any wrongdoing, the committee will request the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to probe the matter and ensure that they account for their behaviour,” he adds.

Khumalo says if the officers are found to be guilty, they should be stripped of their badges and a serious example should be made out of them by sending them to prison for a very long time.

Residents are urged to refrain from taking the law into their own hands, and to report any form of crime to law enforcement agencies – whether the crime is committed by a police officer or a member of the public.