Cops negotiated with a “mentally disturbed” father for 13 hours to come out of his flat after he held his family hostage.
The 44-year-old man fired three bullets while his wife, two sons and daughter, were still held captive inside the Lobelia Street apartment in Millvale Park, Milnerton.
A Daily Voice source explains that the drama started around 6pm on Monday and the suspect released his family at 9.30pm.
Following a night of tense negotiations, he eventually gave up his gun to cops and emerged from the Communicare building at around 7am on Tuesday morning.
“At around 6pm that day, I heard gunshots go off and then I heard screams coming from that flat. I saw a police officer I know and told him about what happened. Within a few minutes, there were a lot of police,” says the source.
He says the man let his family go after the SAPS Negotiations Team intervened, while the Special Task Force were on standby, in case anything went wrong.
A resident says the children came out first and they looked shaken and scared.
“They ran out of the flat, shame, they looked frightened, and then the wife came out.
“They were safe and we were all glad he didn’t harm them.
“The police then took over and they tried to get him out of the flat the whole night and they didn’t give up.”
“He had been acting out of character for about a week and a half, he posted that there was a sniper trying to get all of us and that there was a fire on the Table Mountain coming for us.
“I knew that something was wrong. His family had been away for a few days, on Monday they came back, then this happened.”
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk says a 44-year-old male suspect kept his wife and children hostage in their apartment.
“All role-players like the SAPS Negotiations Team and Special Task Force were called in and during the course of the night, he released his wife and kids and locked himself with a firearm in their apartment.
“He discharged three shots in his yard. Negotiations went on through the night. Past seven this morning, the suspect finally gave the firearm through the window.
“SAPS Special Task Force penetrated the building and placed the suspect under arrest. Nobody was injured,” Van Wyk adds.
“A case of illegal discharging of a firearm in a public place was registered for investigation.
“When charged, the suspect will appear in the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court.’’
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za