‘Drunk’ cop crashes SAPS vehicle into pole

By Bertram Malgas | IOL |

A Cape Town police officer was caught allegedly driving drunk after speeding down a busy road before crashing into a pole.

Witnesses say the man driving a police van sped down 6th Avenue in Eastridge, Mitchells Plain, on Friday at 7pm.

He allegedly hit a signpost after swerving to avoid a taxi that had stopped at a pedestrian crossing near Cherry Lane.

The cop was dressed in work boots and pants, with a casual green T-shirt.

Police have confirmed that the officer, attached to the Public Order Policing in Faure, has been arrested on a charge of drunk driving.

A concerned resident says the cop van was “littered with liquor bottles, and the cop could barely stand up straight”.

The resident says the policeman was staggering up and down the street, slurring his words as he swore at onlookers as they took photos and videos on their cellphones.

A witness explains: “He was walking around swearing at the people while they were taking pictures of him, telling the people, ‘ja, julle vat foto’s, ek skiet julle in julle ma se * ***’ (Yes, you taking pictures, I will shoot you in your mother’s vagina).”

In a short video clip shown to the Daily Voice, the man can be seen standing near his van, looking dazed and confused, squinting bloodshot eyes.

The resident says people called the police, and two vans with four police officers pulled up.

But instead of arresting the cop, the officers chatted to their colleague.

The bystander says: “We asked the police why they don’t arrest this guy, but they just made as if they didn’t hear us.”

By 7.30pm, 30 minutes after the accident, a senior member of the Mitchells Plain police arrived on the scene.

“He questioned the police officers as to why the drunk cop was not in custody,” says the resident.

The man was then loaded into the back of a police van and taken away.

“If he wants to drink he should be off-duty in plain clothes and not using government vehicles,” the man adds.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andre Traut confirmed the cop’s arrest.

Traut says: “A police warrant officer from Public Order Policing Faure was arrested on 30 December 2016 in Mitchells Plain for driving an official police vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.”

Traut adds the cop faces both criminal charges and a disciplinary hearing.