An act of good citizenship took a violent turn when a concerned citizen was arrested after attacking an alleged hit-and-run driver in Cape Town over the weekend. The arrest is one of 213 made by the City’s Law Enforcement and Traffic services in the last week.
The incident occurred just before 22:00 on Saturday, March 2nd, along Nelson Mandela Boulevard. Law Enforcement Auxiliary Officers, responding to a motor vehicle accident, discovered that a stabbing had taken place.
Witnesses told officers that the alleged attacker had witnessed a hit-and-run accident. The citizen pursued the hit-and-run driver while reporting it to the authorities. An altercation ensued between the two drivers, culminating in the stabbing. The stabbing victim received treatment from officers until EMS arrived.
The citizen who confronted the hit-and-run driver returned to the scene and was detained at the Woodstock Police Station.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, commented, “This situation escalated very quickly, where someone who was trying to do a good deed found themselves on the wrong side of the law. We often speak about the importance of public involvement in our efforts against crime and wrongdoing; however, we cannot have a situation where people are taking the law into their own hands.”
Smith urged citizens to gather as much information as possible about a crime and relay it to proper authorities, rather than taking matters into their own hands.
Additional Stats
- Law Enforcement made 177 arrests and issued 3,563 notices for various transgressions in the past week.
- Traffic officers arrested 36 individuals for driving under the influence or reckless driving.
- 63,084 traffic offences were recorded, and 147 public transport vehicles were impounded.
- The Public Emergency Communication Centre dealt with 1,939 incidents, including assaults, domestic violence, and motor vehicle accidents.
