A taxi driver implicated in a hit-and-run incident was apprehended on Tuesday morning after he struck a Metro Police officer with his vehicle following a high-speed chase.
The arrest follows a sequence of events that began at a local shopping centre and culminated in a shocking confrontation captured on camera and shared on social media.
The incident unfolded shortly after 8.30am when the taxi, fleeing from a hit-and-run accident at a Chatsworth shopping centre, ran over a pursuing Metro Police officer.
Advanced Life Support (ALS) Paramedics responded to the emergency at the Moorton Shopping Centre, where they found the officer with severe injuries.
Garrith Jamieson, a spokesman for the ALS Paramedics said when they arrived, they found the seriously injured officer on the road. “Our team immediately worked to stabilize him.”
The officer, in his 30s, suffered multiple injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
A distressing video showing the moment the Metro police officer was struck has been widely circulated on social media.
Colonel Boysie Zungu, a spokesman for the Metro Police Services, confirmed the taxi driver's arrest, saying he faced charges of attempted murder.
“The officer had discharged one shot at the oncoming minibus taxi in an attempt to stop the vehicle, which was involved in an earlier hit-and-run and had been flouting municipal traffic laws,” Colonel Zungu explained.
The taxi driver’s actions not only endangered the lives of pedestrians and other road users, but also resulted in property damage, adding to the severity of the charges against him, said Colonel Zungu.
“We are appalled by the entire incident. As the City’s frontline in crime combating, we risk our lives daily and never wish to experience such incidents,” he said.