From fun ride to gunpoint

POLOKWANE – Visitors to the amusement park rides at the Polokwane Show and Music Festival were left puzzled after the search for an armed man left a cop pulling a gun in a crowded area on Saturday evening.
As the roller coaster ride started to pick up speed at around 21:20, a police officer in a reflector jacket ran up to the ride’s operator, service pistol in hand, demanding that the ride be stopped.
“He kept shouting that there was a man under the machine and that I must stop the ride at once to ensure the safety of police officers and the suspect. This ride does not stop quickly and it took some time to come to a standstill and for passengers to disembark,” the operator, Joshua Monyemoratho, told Review.
Another police officer on the scene spoke to Review on condition of anonymity and said the man who was hiding under the ride’s machinery had assaulted a police officer before fleeing.
He said a manhunt ensued and visitors to the show joined safety officers, security guards and police officers in search of the man, who was believed to be armed.
Provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto, could not confirm the incident, but said police officers had full authority to take out their weapons when they believed a suspect was dangerous or armed.
Lelané van der Merwe, one of the organisers  of the Polokwane Show and Music Festival, said the quick action of the security guards on duty, with the support of the police, ensured the capture of the man.
“He entered the show grounds illegally by climbing over the fence behind the agricultural section.
We have measures in place to prevent visitors from bringing any weapons in and he would never have managed to enter the premises with a weapon if he used the gates.
“We are happy with the way the incident was handled and that the man was apprehended.
“This incident showed that the management committee had excellent measures in place to ensure the safety of all our visitors,” she said.