A Quiet Trip can Become a Nightmare

[Lisbeth]

It can happen to all of us, but being prepared can change the outcome: https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/wa ... ation/amp/

[Richprins]

Watch: Shopping trip nightmare as farmer assaulted in police station
Farmer assaulted inside White River police station.

A Mpumalanga farmer was assaulted inside the White River police station while police officers stood back and did nothing. Photo: Screenshot

A Mpumalanga farmer and his fiancé who sought refuge in the White River police station after armed men forced them off the road in an attempted hijacking, instead, were allegedly assaulted in the police station while police looked on and did nothing.

A video of the farmer, who is known only as “Barend” being dragged and kicked inside White River police station, while policemen do nothing to prevent the assault, went gone viral on social media.

Watch the video here:

https://www.thesouthafrican.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/WhatsApp-Video-2021-03-29-at-09.38.57.mp4

Delia Jordaan who accompanied her fiancé to the shops at around 10am on Sunday morning, captured the assault on her cellphone. The couple had taken their dog “Tippy” with them to the shops. Jordan relayed the incident in a report that accompanies the online video.

“We were approaching White River (WR), near the White River Country Club Estate, on the R40. We were going up the hill toward WR when several vehicles started overtaking on double solid lines, with no regard for oncoming traffic, pushing vehicles aside with their aggressive driving, nearly pushing us off the road,” Jordan said.

“At this point my fiancé Barend told me to take his phone and start recording them as they were driving very dangerously and recklessly. I proceeded to record them using his iPhone.

We were approaching Castor Bridge circle, basically surrounded by these suspect vehicles. The one vehicle, a black Range Rover – no license plates – suddenly stopped in front of us, blocking our entry into the clear traffic circle. My fiancé then hooted at him as we were blocked in. The driver of the black range rover brought his car to a complete standstill in front of us, got out of his vehicle, pulled his firearm and walked towards the drivers side of our vehicle,” she said.

She said her fiancé then closed his window.

“I told him the man had a firearm, at the same time I checked behind us as we heard more men approaching and I noticed another man had stopped behind us and was approaching the vehicle with a large object,” she said.

“My fiancé was keeping an eye on the man with the firearm telling me to get down low as he was concerned the man would shoot, when the other man, approaching from our rear swung the large, concrete divider at the drivers side window, smashing it instantly. We had at least one firearm pointing at us,” she said.
Couple flee for refuge not realising they would be assaulted in police station

“My fiancé knew we were in danger and needed to get out of there and reversed, smashing into the vehicle that was blocking our rear and then going off road, over the barriers to get out from behind the black range rover blocking our entry to the traffic circle. At this point the driver of range rover went around the front of his vehicle to block us off, his firearm was drawn and pointing at us the entire time. In order to avoid him my fiancé reversed away from him, smashing into his vehicle also, in an attempt to get away from him, as he was pointing a firearm at us. My fiancé went over the traffic barriers to get away from them – and started driving towards White River police station as soon as possible for our own safety,” she said.

She said the men had chased them along with a white VW, branded “Tactical Response Unit” vehicle that had blue branding and GP number plates.

“My fiancé showed them we were going to the police, they persisted to try to push us off the road, driving recklessly in front of us, blocking us in in every direction we took,” she said.

“We were chased by them, another white, similarly branded BMW SUV. A Mercedes Benz Sedan, a black Mercedes Benz Bus, a grey Mercedes Benz Bus and other vehicles.”

She said they managed to get to the police station where they informed police officers that armed men had chased them.

She said her fiancé had continued to record while they were inside the police station.

“There were multiple men outside, these were not police officers, they were the men that blocked us at Caster Bridge circle, chased us through the streets of White River and pulled firearms on us. They had now gathered outside the police station. Some of them stayed outside and surrounded our vehicle, and others came inside the police station requesting that the police must ‘let us out’ and that they wanted our cell phones,” she said.

“We were both terribly scared, we did not feel safe at any point in time, we felt that our lives were in danger. I could not understand how nothing was being done to these men who had already pulled firearms on us.”

“My fiancé was recording the entire time. The police did not like this, and neither did the men who had attacked us and was still threatening us, telling us to come outside that they can deal with us, yelling through the windows that they will shoot us and that they are coming for us,” she said.

She said a warrant officer had asked the couple to hand over their phones.

“We refused to do this as we were in our rights to record this.

The men were now knocking on the windows outside the radio room of the police station threatening us, telling us that they will kill us and that we must come outside,” she said.

She said one of the men pushed their way into the room and called her fiancé by his first and last name as well calling out their physical address, saying they would “come for” the couple.

“This was done in full view and earshot of multiple police officers. At the same time, they yelled that they had judges and police in their pocket and that we have no idea who they are and who we are dealing us. Our lived felt threatened,” she said.

“All the police did was threaten to take our phones, telling us repeatedly to hand our phones over to them and the men.

We refused.”

A friend then arrived to help them with their dog who was still sitting in the vehicle.

“Barend went outside to help him get the dog safely out of our vehicle and into his, we asked the police to assist us with this and Divergent Ops had arrived to assist us. He wanted to get back inside to me when four men started assaulting him, inside the police station. None of the police tried to stop the men from entering the area that I was in and my fiancé was clinching his phone to his chest due to the importance of the footage,” she said.

She said her fiancé was then assaulted in the police station.

“My fiancé was assaulted by four men, in full view of police officers. And we have it on video. This because the men that had chased and threatened us wanted my fiancé’s phone and my phone. While I was recording them the man pushed me and tried to grab my phone too. Barend was further assaulted and kicked while they were trying to pull him out of the police station. These men were armed. Our lives were in danger. My fiance’s life was in danger,” she said.

“The men managed to get the phone from him and smashed it and took it. The police witnessed everything and did nothing.”

She said police had ignored their request to open up a criminal case but had allowed the driver who had allegedly pulled a firearm on them, to start filling out an accident report.

“They were all free to go. No one performed any alcohol or drug test on these men, these men were permitted to leave, with their firearms and no consequences. We saw the police greet the men outside, at their vehicles, smiling and laughing,” she said.
Lyse Comins

[Richprins]

This is really pathetic. These convoys are typical of dictatorial countries and totally unnecessary.

[Lisbeth]

What did they want from two persons going shopping. Not the car, they seemed to have enough of those. Maybe there is a story behind the story, as the criminals knew the farmer's name

[Richprins]

Maybe there is more to the story, but they generally have a fit if someone films them being naughty, as they are very important in their own little minds...

[Lisbeth]

I cannot understand what they thought to get out of this whole thing

[Richprins]

More drama!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqBOelbGjc8

[Lisbeth]

It sounds like another incident Anyway the first one did not sound right and I do not know if the second one is right. 1+1=3:2=4+1=6 etc. etc.