Ndudi Anyim
Two officers of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), were on Sunday brutally injured by church members at a church in Midway, Soweto.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the operatives stormed the church premises after it received complaints of noise pollution, emanating from the church.
According to the Spokesperson for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, Wayne Minnaar, several members of the church were arrested for the attack, including the pastor.
Minnaar who spoke extensively on the incident said: “ A female JMPD Superintendent, one female Inspector and five officers attended a noise complaint at a church in Midway, Soweto.
“ On their arrival, the officers were surrounded by a group of aggressive male church goers who thumped onto the JMPD patrol vehicles. Officers used pepper fog to disperse the group and called for backup.
“ Rubber bullets were then used to disperse the aggressive church goers who damaged JMPD patrol vehicles and injured two officers, one officer had to be taken to Milpark Hospital. Two church goers were also injured, one was taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
“ Several church members were arrested, including the pastor of that church. They were charged at Moroka Police Station for public violence, assault, malicious damage to property and contravention of Disaster Management Act. As more than two thousand people were attending the church service.”