Man bites off cop's finger tip
2006-06-04 14:23
Johannesburg - Johannesburg metro police arrested a man on Saturday night after he bit off an officer's finger tip. Doctors stitched the tip back on in a Sunday morning operation.
The officer picked up his fingertip, holding on to it while calling for back-up from colleagues who chased down the fleeing biter, Metro police spokesman Wayne Minnaar said.
Surgeons reattached the digit in the operation, carried out at Johannesburg's Milpark hospital.
Minnaar reported that the incident happened at the intersection of route K101 and Church Street in Midrand at about 10pm on Saturday night.
The suspect, apparently driving drunk, drove his red Golf into the back of a white Mitsubishi van.
When Officer Isaac Mampani stopped to attend to the accident, the man resisted arrest, bit off the tip of Mampani's index finger, and drove off.
Mampani called for backup, and the man was chased to his home in Ebony Park.
He is to appear in the Midrand Regional Court on Monday, charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to stop when instructed to do so by an officer, and failing to give his name when asked, Minnaar said.
Hospital officials declined to comment on Mampani's condition, saying doctors were still with him, and there was no word yet on whether he would regain full use of his finger.
- SAPA