GEORGE NEWS - An alleged incident of police brutality might be investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), after a man from Parkdene, Eben Snoek (34), was allegedly so severely assaulted by a police officer that he is now fighting for his life, comatose in the ICU in Groote Schuur Hospital.
According to one of Snoek's cousins, Dalene Rossouw, he was walking home on Sunday afternoon, 25 February when police who were patrolling the area stopped him.
He allegedly had half a Mandrax tablet in his possession and attempted to throw it away as he was stopped.
"He was walking up Koppel Road. When he saw the police approaching he tried to throw away the tablet. Eyewitnesses told me the officer stopped him and started assaulting him.
"Eben was tackled to the ground where he hit his head on the pavement. They said the officer didn't search him at all. Apparently he was unconscious when they loaded him in the van," said Rossouw.
She expected her cousin to be home on Monday, but by Tuesday he hadn't arrived, and Rossouw went looking for Snoek at the police station.
However, he was nowhere to be found and according to Rossouw, the police officers could not give her an answer as to where he was.
"They said he wasn't booked into the cells. On my request to look for him, they phoned the morgue and the hospital, but he wasn't there either, so I reported him as missing - even though he was taken by Conville Police on Sunday.
"On Thursday morning a police officer met me on my way to the station and told me they found Eben in Groote Schuur. He was in the ICU. They phoned the ambulance at 16:28 on Sunday to transport him from the police station to George Hospital from where he was transferred to Groote Schuur on Monday due to severe head injuries.
"Why did they not tell me he had been taken to hospital? How could they not have known? Instead they made me open a missing person's case," said Rossouw.
Eden district health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira confirmed that Snoek was admitted to George Hospital.
'Attempted to evade arrest'
Provincial police spokesperson Lt Col Malcolm Pojie says Conville Police has opened an inquiry into the allegations made above.
He told George Herald that Conville police officers were busy with crime prevention and combatting operations when they accosted Snoek with Mandrax in his possession.
"It is further alleged that the man attempted to evade arrest by fleeing from the members. The members reacted and the fleeing man and one of the members ran into one another.
"Members sensed that the man was unstable on his feet and insisted that an ambulance and medical personnel be dispatched to provide medical assistance. The man was then hospitalised. The incident was reported to Ipid who will monitor progress," Pojie said.
A media enquiry has been sent to Ipid. When response is received it will be added to this article.
On Thursday Snoek was still in a coma.
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