Hanover Park residents are up in arms after Metro Police officers allegedly moered Community Police Forum chairperson, Ebrahiem Abrahams, and handcuffed his family.
Ebrahiem, 64, and his wife Insaaf, 57, say they are still in shock after the incident on Sunday in which they were thrown to the floor, handcuffed and beaten, after volunteering as community workers for years.
Ebrahiem says he got a skrik when more than 20 officers stormed his home shortly after 5pm, demanding access to his yard.
“They came in here vloek-vloek and said someone threw a magazine (ammunition) in my yard,” he says.
“I said they can go get it, but I objected to the way they just ran in here, swearing at my wife and children.
“There was a commotion in the area after the shooting of a woman in Donegal Court.
“When I questioned why they were not chasing after the suspect, this Sergeant Jansen became aggressive and ombeskof.”
BRUISED: Hanover Park CPF chairman Ebrahiem Abrahams.
Insaaf says when they objected to a search of their home, as cops insinuated that her son Yusuf, 27, was somehow involved in criminal activity, Jansen put her in handcuffs.
“The one Constable Baartman just wanted to search Yusuf’s room and we were confused about why because they then said they saw a man throw a magazine in here and they found the empty magazine in the yard. Then Jansen cuffed me,” she says.
Yusuf says he ran to his father after cops threw the elderly man on the ground.
“There was more than five of them putting him in handcuffs and then one of them came and headbutted me three times and I was bleeding,” Yusuf says.
Ebrahiem’s daughter-in-law, Ghairun-Nisaa Samuels, 26, captured the assault on her cellphone but says the aggressive cop took it from her.
“He forced me to put my pin in and he sent all the videos and pictures to himself and then deleted it off my phone,” he says.
INJURED: Son Yusuf Abrahams was headbutted by cop.
Ebrahiem and Yusuf were taken to Philippi Police Station where residents say Metro Police officers got a skrik when they realised who he was, and he was released.
On Monday community members gathered outside the couple’s home as news spread of the incident.
“ Hulle kan mos nie die doen nie. Die mense is community workers vir jare in Hanover Park,” a woman said.
The City’s Executive Director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, says: “The City is aware of the allegations and we are investigating”.