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Bravery backfires: JMPD officer shot after intervening in domestic assault
An off-duty JMPD officer was shot while attempting to stop a domestic assault.
Photo: iStock
An off-duty member of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) was shot on Monday after trying to save a woman who was allegedly being assaulted by her boyfriend.
Officer Levonne Jonas had stopped at the N1 South Olifantsfontein Road onramp after witnessing a man attacking a woman, according to JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla.
It is alleged that Jonas identified himself as a police officer and made an effort to step in and stop the attack on the woman.
Officer was overpowered and shot with his private firearm
“Officer Jonas was overpowered by the male, who disarmed him of his private firearm and shot. The male immediately drove away, leaving his girlfriend and the officer lying on the ground,” Fihla said.
The injured officer was immediately rushed to the hospital after he sustained gunshot wounds to his left arm, right leg, and one round grazing his head. According to the JMPD, Officer Jonas was in a stable condition.
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Fihla said when the JMPD police arrived on the site, the girlfriend of the attacker returned with members of the Midrand South African Police Service (Saps) and gave them a detailed account of the whole incident.
“Officers later received information that the said boyfriend was at Tembisa Saps. The officers proceeded to the police station, where they found the male, who was immediately arrested and taken back to Midrand Saps,” the JMPD said.
Charged with assault GBH and attempted murder
The man was detained and charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) and attempted murder.
According to the latest crime statistics, there were about 14 401 incidents of assault GBH against women reported from July to September, and about 80 incidents of attempted murder, 22 incidents of murder, and 1 154 incidents of assault GBH were reported during the same time for intervening in an argument.
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