A video has surfaced showing the intense moment when police officers fired multiple rounds into the cab of a stationary Mercedes-Benz Actros truck after Monday’s rampage through Chatsworth and Pinetown.
The footage, which has gone viral on social media, shows at least three police officers spraying bullets directly at the truck after it had come to a stop on Underwood Road in Pinetown.
The unarmed suspect, who had earlier gone on a wild rampage, crashing into vehicles and a pedestrian, is still inside the vehicle.
SA Trucker can now confirm from sources close to the case that the man behind the wheel was not a truck driver by trade but rather a mechanic employed by the truck owner.
The mechanic, a Malawian national, had allegedly confronted his employer over unpaid wages at the company’s yard in Chatsworth.
When tensions boiled over, he allegedly jumped into one of the company’s trucks.
It is understood that a scuffle ensued as the employer tried to remove him from the vehicle.
The man then allegedly sped off, triggering the rampage that saw him crash into multiple cars and a SAPS vehicle, injuring a pedestrian and several motorists in the process.
ALS Paramedics confirmed that the man sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body and was stabilised at the scene before being transported to the hospital under police guard.
The release of the video has sparked a heated debate online, with many questioning the use of force by the police.
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Critics argue that the suspect was unarmed and the truck was stationary at the time of the shooting.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is expected to probe the circumstances around the police’s use of force.
Meanwhile, investigations into the full circumstances of the matter continue, and SA Trucker will update as more details become available.
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