Police officer allegedly assaults an 18-year-old in East Lynne
A police officer allegedly assaulted an 18-year-old man in East Lynne on Saturday. The incident occured after the man and his two friends were allegedly given racial slurs by two men on the rooftop of Elbiehof flats. The man and his friends were allegedly assaulted by a police officer at the entrance of the flat, as they were on their way to confront the two men.
A charge of brutality was laid against a police officer for allegedly beating up an 18-year-old man in East Lynne on Saturday.
Michelle Japhta told Rekord her son, Chezlynn Japhta was assaulted for no reason.
“Chezlynn and his two friends were at a shop on the corner of Lenham and Vorster streets, and as they were coming out, they noticed two men on the roof on the roof of the Elbiehof [next door to the shop]. These men started yelling insults calling Chezlynn and his friends kaffirs,” said Japhta.
“Chezlynn and his two friends came home to fetch another friend and the four went back to confront the two men.”
She said when the Chezlynn and his friends arrived on the scene, there was a group of policemen at the entrance to the flats who told them to lie down and started interrogating them.
“Chezlynn was kicked in the mouth and his friend, Happiness has a bump on his head because of this,” Japhta said.
When the four tried to explain to the police that the two men had earlier called them names, the police would not listen, alleges Japhta.
“The Pakistani shop owner tried to intervene but the police did not listen to him either,” Japhta said.
Chezlynn and his friends were allegedly arrested by police at 21:00 on Saturday, for public drinking and held in cells for four hours.
“He was released at approximately 02:00 on Sunday morning,” Japhta explained.
She alleged that she was told to pay a R150 or bring her son to court on 4 February.
“I asked the police if they tested the four for alcohol and they told me they could tell the boys were drunk,” Japhta explained.
Japhta said she requested for the J88 form which the Villieria police station denied but she got one from the Silverton police station.
A J88 form is used by medical practitioners to document injuries sustained to a victim for litigation.
Japhta said the doctor gave her a medical report stating that her son’s lips were swollen and he sustained bruises on his back.
She alleged police officers told her that nothing would be done about the police officer’s actions, and that the officer had apologised to her son.
Spokesperson for Villieria police station Captain Coba Brits confirmed Chezlynn opened a case but could not say if any action would be taken against the police officer.
“A case has been opened and will be investigated, that is all we can report,” Brits said.
Police watchdog, the independent police investigative directorate (IPID) spokesperson, Robbie Raburabu, said the directorate could not comment as it had not received the docket.
“We do not have the case yet so we can only comment once we have seen it,” Raburabu said.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram.
- We have exciting news! We’re offering a free alert to help you always be in the loop. Send an email with the word ‘Subscribe’ to breakingnews@rekord.co.za to receive your free daily breaking news update.
