(IMAGE IS FOR REPRESENTATIVE PURPOSES)
A night that began as a birthday celebration in Manenberg ended in tragedy when a local man died during a police operation involving the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU).
His death is now at the centre of an independent investigation, following sharply different accounts from his friends and the police.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has stepped in to investigate after residents alleged the man was assaulted, while police maintain he collapsed after complaining of ‘ear pain.‘
Sharon Price said that on Thursday evening she had been celebrating her birthday with her husband and their friend, Wade Price.
As relayed in eNCA’s reporting, Price said officers arrived at the gathering and escorted her husband and two others, whom police described as gang members, to the Manenberg Police Station. The men later alleged that they were assaulted during questioning.
Police presented a different account, as the AGU had been conducting a follow-up investigation into a murder near the Athlone Magistrate’s Court the day before.
As part of that inquiry, police said they were interviewing a possible suspect and subsequently conducted a search at a premises in Manenberg.
During the operation, they said Price complained of ‘an earache,’ collapsed soon afterward, and was pronounced dead.
With two conflicting narratives emerging, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate is now tasked with establishing the facts. IPID confirmed that Price’s death is under formal investigation.
The agency will review police conduct, statements from witnesses, and any available evidence from the station and the scene. Its findings will determine whether any officer acted unlawfully during the AGU operation.
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Picture: Getty Images
