THE Namibian Police have warned civilians against attacking police officers who are fulfilling their duties.
Police spokesperson Kauna Shikwambi yesterday said in a media release that this behaviour will not be tolerated, and urged civilians to cooperate during arrests.
This was in reaction to the fatal shooting of a man in Katutura by a police officer, who was allegedly defending himself against the suspect on Sunday night.
The man, identified as John Dausab (age unknown), was shot in the abdomen along Max Eixab Street at around 22h00 with a 9mm pistol during an undercover police operation.
Shikwambi explained that Dausab was a wanted criminal, who was out on bail. Once the undercover officers found out where he was, they went to arrest him. She did not say why police wanted to arrest him.
It is alleged that Dausab attacked one of the officers with an unknown object, as the officers were trying to arrest him. One of them then fired the fatal shot.
“That incident could have been avoided had the suspect cooperated with the officers who only intended to effect a lawful arrest,” she said.
She added that fighting, threatening, injuring and undermining police officers executing their duties serves no purpose.
“It is a wrong approach, which in most cases always turns out disastrous. It must be avoided at all times. When a suspect feels there is a breach in the execution of the arrest, it can be addressed at the police station and the commanders be informed,” she stressed.
Shikwambi also dismissed social media posts that the deceased was shot by an NDF member who was part of ‘Operation Kalahari Desert’.
“The public must know that officers don’t, cannot and should not effect arrests for nothing. Surely, there must always be a contravention of the law that results in the arrest of offenders,” she said.
In another incident, a 24-year-old man fought and bit a police officer on the right thigh as the officer was effecting an arrest at Farm Auros in the Stampriet area on Friday.
The suspect was arrested, and police investigations continue.
Meanwhile, a police officer was also shot and wounded during a covert operation in Windhoek.
It is alleged that an 83-year-old Eros resident reported that he was defrauded of N$300 000 in 2018 by men masquerading as police officers. On Saturday, he was allegedly also conned of N$4 500 and a cellphone by suspects who were pretending to be police officers.
A covert operation was arranged, in which the complainant was to meet the suspects at Natis, in the Northern Industrial Area at about 14h00.
As police officers approached the suspects, they fled – some in a getaway car and one on foot.
The suspect who fled on foot was intercepted under the Monte Cristo Road bridge near the NamPower thermal station, and arrested.
The police officer was then shot in the process, and rushed to hospital.
His condition was described as stable. It could not be established who had fired at the officer.
One Samsung cellphone and N$4 500 were recovered from the suspect. The other suspects are still on the run.
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