Assault and intimidation case opened against metro cops

A criminal case has been opened up at the Edenvale police station against two Ekurhuleni metro police officers who allegedly shoved and punched a motorist and his wife, Gauteng police said on Monday.

"A case was opened and it will be investigated by Edenvale detectives," Warrant Officer Jean Olckers told Sapa.

"It is a case of assault and intimidation."

The case was opened by motorist Malcolm Brown on Sunday shortly after the incident near Modderfontein Road.

According to The Star, the couple were allegedly assaulted in front of their two children in Edenglen.

Brown told the newspaper he stopped at a red traffic light, and saw an officer on the road from a distance.

When he drove on, he was flagged down by the officer.

When Brown stopped, the officer allegedly began shouting at him, asking why he drove through a red robot.

Brown denied the allegation and was told he would be getting a fine.

Brown alighted from his car and followed the officer to give him his details.

While writing out the fine, Brown asked the officer how he could see the traffic light from such a distance.

He allegedly responding by saying: "I am the law".

Two other officers approached and also began shouting at Brown.

When Brown asked for their names, he was allegedly sworn at.

Brown took out his cellphone and attempted to shoot a video of the police car's number plates, when he was assaulted.

"As soon as I started to film, he grabbed my arms and wrestled me to the ground. His colleague then also grabbed me, and the officer in the film punched me in the chest," he told the newspaper.

Brown's wife ran to him and was also pushed and punched by an officer.

The children watched from the backseat of their car.

"I could hear my kids screaming, so I grabbed my wife and ran to our car, locked the doors and phoned the police."

Brown said the officers then drove off. He attempted to follow them but they were allegedly driving too fast, around 120km in a 60km zone.