WATCH | Murderer slaps police officer after guilty verdict in court, assault case opened

A known gangster convicted of murder in the Cape Town high court slapped the investigating officer who helped get him convicted last week.

The incident was caught on camera after the judgment and those convicted were being led down to the holding cells.

Tyrique Hendricks was a member of the “Firm Boys” gang, which operates a drug racket in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town. 

On November 22 judge Elizabeth Baartman found Hendricks guilty of multiple offences, including the murder of Ivor Hess in 2020.

After the verdict, Hendricks is seen on video looking up from the steps to the holding cells at the court gallery. A woman in the recording says “I love you” to Hendricks. He looks briefly at the gallery before looking ahead again where the investigating officer, W/O Jamie Scholtz, was standing near the dock.

As Hendricks was being led to the cells he raises his arm and slaps Scholtz in the face, who falls backwards. Another man, in plain clothes, tussles with Hendricks as a woman behind the camera screams “Tyrique, no! No Tyrique!”

Police said: “A case of assault was opened by [a] 46-year-old warrant officer after one of the accused attempted to assault him as the suspect was leaving the court after being found guilty.”

Hendricks and his co-accused are going through sentencing proceedings in the high court.

Hendricks was found guilty of a murder on May 22 2020 when he and fellow gang member Keano Taylor drove a silver VW Polo to a property where they believed a rival gang member lived.

They were out for revenge after a fellow Firm Boy member had been stabbed to death the evening before, allegedly by a rival gang member.

When Hendricks and Taylor arrived at the property, Hendricks drew a 9mm pistol and shot at Hess, sitting on a low wall outside the property. Hess was believed to be a former “Americans” gang member.

Hess fell backwards and Hendricks leant over the wall and continued firing at him lying on the ground.

Hess’ 13-year-old niece, who was hanging up laundry, ran to the sound of what she thought was a car backfiring, only to see Hendricks leaning over the wall shooting at her uncle on the ground.

She screamed and Hendricks shot at the teenager but missed. Hendricks and Taylor fled the scene in the Polo.

Hess’ niece ran to her uncle, crying. His last words to her were “don’t cry” before he died.

Hendricks and Taylor sped off, but police officers in a marked police van spotted them speeding towards a four-way intersection. The officers switched on their blue lights and attempted to block the intersection. The Polo screeched past the police vehicle and drove on at high speed.

The police pursued the men. As the vehicle drew closer to the Polo, a sharp turn resulted in one of the van’s tyres bursting and the vehicle overturning. The Polo got away.

Officers who had been called for backup soon arrived at the overturned vehicle, checked on the wellbeing of the officers and continued in pursuit of the Polo.

Members of the public directed them to a house in the area where the officers stopped and ran inside. The occupants of the house fled, and as the officers were attempting to catch them, they found a 9mm firearm dropped in the yard.

They secured the area and waited for forensics officers. The firearm was later linked to multiple murders in the area, including Hess.

Witnesses later identified Hendricks and Taylor as the men in the Polo that day. Hess’ family members and others on the scene pointed out Hendricks as being the shooter of Hess.

Witnesses were fearful of testifying against Hendricks and his co-accused implicated in other murders. One witness stated on the stand: “They are gangsters, and they kill people who testify against them.”

To protect witnesses, the court hid their identities.

Below: In Facebook posts, Hendricks is seen in jail posing with other inmates. 

Scholtz put together the solid case against them. He had been at the Mitchells Plain detective unit for 20 years and had grown up in the area. He testified against the men and was instrumental in their conviction.