Shot teacher demands investigation

THREE weeks after being shot by a security guard, a 25-year-old teacher is being forced to come to terms with spending his life in a wheelchair.

Johan Gabrielsen spoke to The Namibian this week from his hospital bed at the Windhoek Central Hospital, upset that, to date, the Police had not documented his version of what happened on the night he was shot. This, he said, was despite repeated requests from his family that this needed to be done so that the case could take its legal course as soon as possible.A Police Crime Bulletin dated March 8 notes that a case of attempted murder had been opened and that a suspect was arrested.But on inquiry from The Namibian yesterday, the investigating officer said no arrests had been made and that the matter was still being investigated.He said a statement had been taken from the security guard, but maintained that Gabrielsen had been too ill to give his version of what happened.He said he planned to visit Gabrielsen soon.Gabrielsen teaches woodwork and science at the Pionierspark Primary School.This week, Gabrielsen, who only has feeling down to his waist, was told that he was likely to be paralysed for life and would have to spend the next four months at the Southern Cross Hospital in Cape Town learning to adapt to his new lifestyle.But, he said, medical personnel required Police documentation of the incident before he could be released.He told The Namibian on Tuesday that in the wake of the publication of what he termed an untrue media report of the incident, he wanted to set the record straight.Gabrielsen said that on the night of the incident, March 4, he was concerned about the well-being of his girlfriend after she left a dance club he co-owns saying she was feeling unwell.He recalls arriving at her townhouse complex in Klein Windhoek at around 21h00.Unable to reach her on her cell phone, he began to call her from the gate.The security guard allegedly emerged from nearby bushes.Gabrielsen said it appeared the security guard remembered him from the night before when had also visited the complex.The security guard allegedly told Gabrielsen to climb over the gate, which he says he did.After knocking on the door without reply, Gabrielsen said, he climbed back up the wall from where he planned to jump over the gate again.It was allegedly at this point that the security guard asked him whether there was anyone home.”When I said no, he took out his revolver.He said he’s a Koevoet and I mustn’t mess with him.Then he shot me,” claimed Gabrielsen.Gabrielsen says he fell from a height of nearly two metres.”I asked him to help me.I had no breath.It felt like a 100-volt shock had gone through me.”Gabrielsen claimed he was no more than two metres away from the accused.Residents in the complex and emergency security forces came to his rescue.Gabrielsen said insinuations that he was under the influence of alcohol and that he had harassed his girlfriend were baseless.”I wasn’t drunk.I don’t even drink [alcohol].When I got no answer on her cell, I was worried over whether she was all right.She lives in a very unsafe neighbourhood, that’s why I went to see her,” he said.Since then, it has been a tough three weeks for Gabrielsen.Part of his left lung had to be cut-away after being damaged by the bullet that lodged in his back.His liver was severely damaged and he had to undergo several operations to repair it.The Crown Security Company for which the security guard works, confirmed the incident but declined to divulge details of the incident, as told to them by their employee, for fear of prejudicing the Police investigation.Manager Riaan Wiese told The Namibian that his company was hired to guard the town house complex and that the guard was on duty that night.He said the security guard had returned to duty since the incident.This, he said, was despite repeated requests from his family that this needed to be done so that the case could take its legal course as soon as possible.A Police Crime Bulletin dated March 8 notes that a case of attempted murder had been opened and that a suspect was arrested.But on inquiry from The Namibian yesterday, the investigating officer said no arrests had been made and that the matter was still being investigated.He said a statement had been taken from the security guard, but maintained that Gabrielsen had been too ill to give his version of what happened.He said he planned to visit Gabrielsen soon.Gabrielsen teaches woodwork and science at the Pionierspark Primary School.This week, Gabrielsen, who only has feeling down to his waist, was told that he was likely to be paralysed for life and would have to spend the next four months at the Southern Cross Hospital in Cape Town learning to adapt to his new lifestyle.But, he said, medical personnel required Police documentation of the incident before he could be released.He told The Namibian on Tuesday that in the wake of the publication of what he termed an untrue media report of the incident, he wanted to set the record straight.Gabrielsen said that on the night of the incident, March 4, he was concerned about the well-being of his girlfriend after she left a dance club he co-owns saying she was feeling unwell.He recalls arriving at her townhouse complex in Klein Windhoek at around 21h00.Unable to reach her on her cell phone, he began to call her from the gate.The security guard allegedly emerged from nearby bushes.Gabrielsen said it appeared the security guard remembered him from the night before when had also visited the complex.The security guard allegedly told Gabrielsen to climb over the gate, which he says he did.After knocking on the door without reply, Gabrielsen said, he climbed back up the wall from where he planned to jump over the gate again.It was allegedly at this point that the security guard asked him whether there was anyone home.”When I said no, he took out his revolver.He said he’s a Koevoet and I mustn’t mess with him.Then he shot me,” claimed Gabrielsen.Gabrielsen says he fell from a height of nearly two metres.”I asked him to help me.I had no breath.It felt like a 100-volt shock had gone through me.”Gabrielsen claimed he was no more than two metres away from the accused.Residents in the complex and emergency security forces came to his rescue.Gabrielsen said insinuations that he was under the influence of alcohol and that he had harassed his girlfriend were baseless.”I wasn’t drunk.I don’t even drink [alcohol].When I got no answer on her cell, I was worried over whether she was all right.She lives in a very unsafe neighbourhood, that’s why I went to see her,” he said.Since then, it has been a tough three weeks for Gabrielsen.Part of his left lung had to be cut-away after being damaged by the bullet that lodged in his back.His liver was severely damaged and he had to undergo several operations to repair it.The Crown Security Company for which the security guard works, confirmed the incident but declined to divulge details of the incident, as told to them by their employee, for fear of prejudicing the Police investigation.Manager Riaan Wiese told The Namibian that his company was hired to guard the town house complex and that the guard was on duty that night.He said the security guard had returned to duty since the incident.