No arrests after violent attack at SOS office

MOKOPANE –  No arrests have yet been made after about 40 suspects threw rocks and bricks through the windows of the Special Operations Solutions (SOS) offices in Ruiter Street on Tuesday night.

This follows after an alleged drug lord was arrested earlier in the day by an SOS Reaction Officer and died while in custody.

According to a reliable source, the deceased, a Nigerian national in his late thirties, was chased by a traffic official after he skipped a stop street sign.

The man eventually pulled over in Ruiter Street and the reaction officer from SOS assisted the traffic official after the suspect tried to ran off.

They managed to arrest him and found him in possession of drugs.

“When about 20 members from the community saw the drugs they started to assault the suspect, we tried to stop them and phoned the police for assistance,” the reaction officer, who does not want to be named, said.

According to the reaction officer the suspect said he would escort the police to his house in Dudu Madisha Drive and show them where he has stashed drugs.

Mokopane Police Spokesperson, Sgt Irene Masingi told Bosveld: “The police searched the house, but no drugs were found. The suspect requested the police to call an ambulance as he was not feeling well. The paramedics declared him dead on arrival.”

Masingi further said: “The cause of the suspect’s death is currently unconfirmed. A case of murder has been opened and investigations are ongoing.”

At about 19:45 more than 10 cars pulled up outside the SOS offices and about 40 people emerged from the vehicles.

One of SOS medics was on the scene and said one of the suspects pointed a firearm against his head and told him to leave.

“No arrests have yet been made.We urge the community not to resort to any forms of vigilantism. The police are on alert and have deployed members in the area and the situation is being monitored,” Masingi concluded.

redaksie.bosvelder@nmgroup.co.za