High-speed chase ends in mayoral bodyguard’s arrest
The suspect managed to unstrap himself from the safety belt, opened the door and threw himself out of the car
Public Safety officers arrested a man believed to be a mayoral bodyguard from out-of-town on Saturday night. Which town’s mayor he works for has not as yet been established.
During a routine vehicle check, traffic officers pulled over a Toyota Corolla in Murchison Street near Maxi’s Restaurant / Guinea Fowl service station. The officers were checking if vehicles were roadworthy and for outstanding warrants of arrest.
The driver initially complied with the officers, but then proceeded to tell them that the vehicle did not belong to him and that he needed to contact the owner. That’s when the routine vehicle check turned nasty.
The driver made his way to the car, pretending to get his phone to contact the owner. Seconds later, he jumped into the vehicle and startled officers watched as he sped off. Bystanders and petrol station attendants had to dive out of the way as the car raced through the petrol station.
A high-speed chase ensued, with Public Safety officers chasing the fleeing vehicle from Maxi’s down Murchison Street, into Poort Road, Carbineer Road and finally Cannon Road.
The driver eventually stopped at a residence where a party was taking place. Officers attempted to arrest him, but a large group of men from the ‘party house’ tried drunkenly to prevent the arrest.
For at least 45 minutes, there was a heated exchange of words between the group of men and the traffic officers before the driver of the Toyota Corolla was finally arrested with the assistance of SAPS. The driver allegedly resisted arrest.
The man was handcuffed and placed in a traffic officer’s vehicle with a safety belt strapped around him. As the officer was starting his vehicle, the suspect managed to unstrap himself from the safety belt, opened the door and threw himself out of the car. There was a tussle before the suspect was re-arrested.
During the high-speed chase, the offending driver failed to stop at intersections, posing a danger to other motorists, and refused to obey the orders of traffic officials, among other traffic offences. He is believed to have been under the influence of liquor at the time.
Once at the police station, the driver became as meek as a lamb and complied with all instructions. The suspect was detained on Saturday night and was later released on bail.
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