By Everson Luhanga
Two police officers were held hostage inside the shack of a suspected drug dealer in Tembisa’s Isithame section in Ekurhuleni on Monday evening.
But it wasn’t the alleged drug dealers holding them prisoner — it was a group of community members!
According to information received by Scrolla.Africa, the officers were initially led to the drug den after they stopped and searched two men nearby.
“The two men in the streets were found in possession of drugs and were asked where they bought them. That was when the suspects pointed to a shack where two more people allegedly selling drugs were found,” said a community member who asked not to be named.
When the two occupants of the shack saw the cops approaching, they panicked and pulled out a knife and a gun on the officers.
In the ensuing standoff, the officers struck first, injuring the suspected drug dealers. One of the suspects was hit in the leg.
After the incident, an ambulance arrived and took the suspects away to be treated at hospital.
Then, in an extraordinary turn of events, community members who had gathered outside blocked the way to stop the cops from leaving.
They accused the officers of taking bribes from the alleged drug dealers, saying they saw their cop car parked outside the shack at least three times a day.
The captured police officers were outnumbered and had to call for backup before things took another turn for the worse.
They were eventually rescued by their colleagues who arrived in a marked police van.
Community leader Elias Pitja Sthuma said he witnessed the incident.
“Two police officers arrived at the house in a marked double cab van. Soon after that, they got inside the yard, and officers started shooting in the shack”.
And soon, gunshots were heard from the house, and the two people at the property screamed for help as they claimed to have been shot.
“This drew the attention of the community members who have always suspected that the police have been taking bribes from the alleged drug dealers at the house,” said Sthuma.
Police are investigating cases of attempted murder, possession of drugs, and dealing drugs.
Two suspects were detained at the Tembisa Rabasotho Police Station for possession of drugs.
Another suspect was also detained for the attempted murder of the police officers and suspected drug dealing.
Pictured above: The suspects were detained in Tembisa Rabasotho Police Station
Image source: Everson Luhanga
