Couple speaks out after witnessing shooting of Pretoria man
“The doctors immediately operated, but could not remove the bullet as his brain is too swollen and there is still too much bleeding on the brain.”
A couple who witnessed their friend, Len Cloete, being shot in the head by a police officer at a lodge in Muldersdrift spoke out on Tuesday.
Breydon and his wife, Chantél Blignaut, were with Cloete and his wife at the Misty Hills Lodge in Muldersdrift over the weekend. According to Chantél, they were booked in for the night. “We planned on having dinner and planning our Christmas event, and to be safe, we booked in for the evening.”
She added that they also did not want to drive after the set curfew.
“It was my first time at this lodge. Len loved it; he kept on saying how beautiful the place was when we just arrived there on Friday.”
The traumatised couple said they never expected that the evening would take such a turn for the worst. Chantél said they could not go into details about the shooting and what led up to the shooting as it might hamper the investigation. In a video of the incident that has since gone viral on social media, Cloete is seen shouting at the police. He then disarms a police officer. Another officer at the scene fires a single shot and hits Cloete in the head. He falls to the ground. She confirmed that they witnessed how Len was shot in the face by the police officer. The bullet hit Len in the forehead.
“We are all traumatised by what had happened. We have known Len for more than ten years now,” she said.
According to the Chantél, the bullet is still lodged in his brain. “The doctors immediately operated, but could not remove the bullet as his brain is too swollen.” Cloete is the owner of VO2 Max fitness centre in Jochem Street, Rietvalleirand in Pretoria.
Rekord visited the fitness centre on Tuesday. His friends and colleagues described him as a unique, very loved person who would protect those he loved.
“Len is a character of his own, a unique person and someone who enjoys his life to the fullest,” Blignaut said.
Shadrick Dumisane. has been working at the fitness centre for the past six years. He said Cloete is like a father figure to him. “He is always friendly to his workers. Len is like a father to us. “We pray day and night for his recovery and for God to heal him,” he said. Cloete is the father of seven children – the youngest being two-years-old and the oldest 18. He and his wife, Chantal live in the East of Pretoria with their children. Earlier on Tuesday, the Cloete family opened a case of attempted murder against the police.
CATCH UP ON THE STORY AND ITS UPDATES BELOW:
- Pretoria family opens attempted murder case against police after hotel shooting
- Pretoria man stable in coma after shot by police in head
- Pretoria man in coma after being shot in head by police
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