City officers were attacked as they tried to arrest taxi drivers in Milnerton.
On Tuesday the Taxi Enforcement Unit (TEU) spotted a driver obstructing the road in Milnerton.
According to Safety and Security boss Alderman JP Smith, when the officers tried to give him a fine, the driver became aggressive.
“They called for backup and tried to arrest him, a second taxi pulled up, he resisted arrest, they both assaulted the officers. Backup arrived, they managed to cuff the first, but then he still resisted and tried to break loose, refusing to get in the vehicle.”
He says both taxi drivers were criminally charged.
A video of the arrest was shared on WhatsApp. One driver was arrested near robots with many officers around him and another clip showed a driver on the ground being cuffed.
Smith says later on Tuesday afternoon, four traffic officers were taken to N1 City Hospital for medical treatment after an incident in Milnerton that resulted in the arrest of two suspects.
“Two of the officers were conducting enforcement operations in the area, when they spotted an overloaded Toyota Quantum, just after 5pm.
“The driver refused to stop, and after a short chase, he was brought to a halt, but immediately started assaulting the officers and resisting arrest.”
He added a second taxi then stopped, and that driver too joined the assault.
“The officers managed to call for backup, as a crowd had gathered and started threatening them. Two more colleagues arrived, and they managed to arrest the two suspects, despite the fracas.”
The suspects were detained at Milnerton SAPS on a number of charges including reckless and negligent driving, assault on a peace officer, and resisting arrest.
“We condemn these brazen attacks on our staff, and I call on the justice system to deal swiftly with these suspects.”