Teenage girl dies after violent clashes between Elsies River police and residents

Source: EWN Traffic
Author: Lauren Isaacs

CAPE TOWN - A teenage girl died following violent clashes between police and residents in Elsies River.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has started investigating Sunday's incident.

The police watchdog said it's alleged that at around 6pm, South African Police Service (SAPS) officers searched a premises in The Range, where drugs and ammunition were found and a suspect was arrested.

According to IPID, about 150 community members hurled stones, bricks and bottles at the police while they tried to leave with the suspect.

Officers allegedly threw a stun grenade in an attempt to disperse the crowd and later fired rubber bullets.

Less than an hour later four civilians, who were wounded, were admitted to hospital and one of them, a 16-year-old girl, died.

The Elsies River community policing forum's Imraahn Mukaddam said: "What actually happened was that the perpetrator himself was not home but an elderly lady or an older lady, who is a resident in the house, was arrested.

"The community had an issue with the fact that this lady was being arrested [because] that's not related to the criminal find, and then there was that commotion."