'Detective' assaults man

2009-07-16 08:46

Fanie van Rooyen

Pretoria – A Pretoria policeman allegedly severely assaulted a man in Centurion on Monday night, after accusing him of making an illegal U-turn.

"I am the law. You're going to sleep in prison," the policeman - apparently a detective from the Lyttleton police station -  told Conrad Jacobs, 23, from Rooihuiskraal before assaulting him.

"He was extremely drunk and said I had made an illegal U-turn on a highway," said Jacobs. "I didn't make a U-turn and we were on a regular road, not a highway," he added.

Besides a broken nose, Jacobs needed stitches to his bottom lip, and several of his spinal discs were bruised because the presumed policeman "kicked him like a dog".

Turned into a driveway

At about 18:30 on Monday night, Jacobs was on Panorama road in Rooihuiskraal along with a friend, on their way to fetch clothing from the friend's girlfriend's house. "I didn't know where she lived so I drove past her house," said Jacobs.

"My friend said I should turn around, so I turned into a driveway in order to turn around."

When he drove off again, he saw a white Toyota Hilux bakkie approaching from the front with flashing headlights.

"I ignored it because I hadn't done anything wrong, but a bit further the bakkie started flashing its lights at me from behind."

Jacobs pulled onto the side of the road and stopped at the friend's girlfriend's house, where more of his friends were standing around. A "very drunk" man got out and started "shoving" him.

Threw him to the ground

“He waved his police identification in front of us and said I had made an illegal U-turn. He said I had to go with him to the Wierdabrug police station, so I got into his bakkie."

On the way, the suspected policeman repeatedly told Jacobs: "I am the law" and: "You're going to sleep in prison." Then the man pulled over and stopped.

"He threw me to the ground and started beating me."

A friend of Jacobs, a certain Calvin, had been following the bakkie and confirmed Jacobs's story. Jacobs laid a charge of assault at the Wierdabrug police station.

By Wednesday afternoon, police at the Wierdabrug and Lyttleton police stations were not able to confirm the incident or confirm that the man was indeed a detective.
 

- Beeld