Minister Anroux Marais denounces violence against LEAP officers in Hanover Park
Police are investigating two separate violent incidents in Cape Town after LEAP officers were attacked while responding to gang gunfire in Hanover Park
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Western Cape MEC of Police Oversight and Community Safety Anroux Marais has condemned attacks on Law Enforcement Advancement Plan (LEAP) officers who were assaulted by community members while responding to gang-related gunfire in Hanover Park.
According to her office, the incident unfolded on, March 10, when LEAP officers on patrol heard gunshots and drove towards what was described as an active shooting between rival gangs.
Officers called for backup, with additional LEAP units responding from Elsies River and Manenberg. During the operation, one officer reportedly spotted a suspected gunman and gave chase.
The suspect was apprehended and searched, and officers recovered a .38 Special revolver containing one live round and four empty cartridges.
However, the situation escalated when a group of community members allegedly began throwing stones at officers and attempted to attack them in an effort to prevent the suspect from being arrested.
Two officers were struck with stones but were not seriously injured.
Authorities said officers were forced to release the suspect and withdraw from the area due to safety concerns.
The firearm was secured and later booked in as evidence at Philippi police station.
Later that evening, at about 9.45pm, LEAP officers returned to the area on foot in a coordinated operation with members from Gugulethu and Nyanga, while patrol vehicles secured the perimeter.
Officials said officers searched locations where the suspect is believed to frequent but were unable to locate him.
At about 11pm, officers were alerted by residents to a shooting in Summit Road. On arrival, they found a man who had been fatally shot.
Marais said the incident reflected a troubling pattern in which communities affected by violent crime sometimes interfere with efforts to arrest suspected offenders.
“It is extremely concerning that officers who risk their lives to protect communities are being attacked while carrying out their duties. The individuals responsible for these shootings are the same perpetrators who continue to terrorise residents and contribute to the tragic loss of life on the Cape Flats,” she said.
Marais said the incident was not the first time community interference had enabled a suspect to evade arrest in Hanover Park.
She referred to an incident on February 17 in Moray Court where LEAP Reaction Unit members arrested a suspect for possession of a prohibited firearm.
During that arrest, officers were also attacked by members of the community, allowing the suspect to escape. The firearm was booked as abandoned evidence and the suspect was later arrested at his residence and linked to the offence.
“In both of these incidents, the actions of certain individuals in the community allowed suspects to evade arrest. In the most recent incident, the same suspect who was allowed to escape remains a known perpetrator in the area,” Marais said.
She urged residents not to attack law enforcement officers and to work with authorities to address crime.