A cop who is being investigated for two cases of police brutality has been caught on video yet again, this time breaking a man’s nose.
The video of the officer, who is stationed at Athlone SAPS, assaulting a 53-year-old man and then arresting him on a charge of obstruction of justice went viral this week.
Nazeem Hardien was assaulted at Block 11 in Kewtown after apparently asking cops to take action against men gambling, smoking and selling drugs in the road.
He had approached the officer, who has only been identified as Sergeant Gabriels, who slammed him against a car and broke his nose.
The assault lasted a few minutes, with two videos showing community members jumping in to try and stop the attack.
Two other officers on the scene do not intervene.
VICTIM: Nazeem Hardien, 53, with his bloodied broken nose
Gabriels allegedly demanded that one of the officers pepper-spray Hardien, but the cop refused.
In the video, the officers appear aggressive, but community leader Merle Thomas-Mkhonto, 51, says they had no reason to be.
“Nazeem wanted to alert the police to illegal activities taking place, but instead he was beaten up,” Merle says.
The battered man was loaded into a blood-spattered police van, bleeding heavily from his nose.
Hardien’s wife, Michelle, says she rushed to the police station, but cops refused to let her see her husband.
“The neighbours showed me the videos and his face. I am horrified,” she says.
“I asked to see him and after 11pm on Monday cops rudely informed me they neither have to tell me what he was charged for or what his condition is.”
Hardien was taken to the hospital for treatment and is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.
“As soon as he is out, we will open a case of assault against this officer. He cannot do this and get away with it,” Michelle says.
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, says Hardien was arrested because he interfered with police work.
“A case of interfering while police officers are executing their duties and a case of common assault was registered for investigation,” Van Wyk said.
He says Hardien can lay a charge against the officer who assaulted him, which will be forwarded to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for investigation.
In June last year, a 60-year-old nurse from Kewtown lodged a complaint with Ipid after the same officer allegedly slapped, choked and dragged her out of her home.
Veronica Franciscus, 60, and her son Kyle, 31, were wrongfully arrested and the cop even tried to kill her dog, but missed and shot and injured another police officer instead.
And in February this year, Bevan Hermans, 39, claimed he was viciously attacked by “Sergeant Gabriels” during a riot in Bokmakierie.
Bevan says he came out of his house to see what the commotion outside was about and the cop allegedly used a taser, which is not police issued, to shock him.
saafia.february@inl.co.za