Cops stand by as man bleeds
Police have been accused of leaving a young man to die after he was stabbed in the Joburg CBD.
|||Johannesburg - Police have been accused of leaving a young man to die after he was stabbed in the Joburg CBD on Wednesday.
The man was stabbed in the chest allegedly by two men who wanted to rob him of his cellphone, according to private security guards who apprehended the suspects.
The Star photographer Dumisani Sibeko was one of the first people to arrive at the scene at the intersection of Pritchard and Ntemi Piliso streets.
When the lensman asked why the police were simply watching the young man as he lay on the ground writhing in pain instead of calling an ambulance, one of the officers responded rudely.
“I don’t work for emergency services, I am a police officer.
“Why don’t you call the ambulance,” the officer said, according to Sibeko.
Frustrated at the officer’s response, Sibeko tried to call Joburg Emergency Management Services (JEMS).
“The guy was vomiting, his eyes were turning white, it was as if he was about to die,” Sibeko said.
He then called 702 radio to air his unhappiness with the police and emergency services.
After about five minutes, a Netcare 911 paramedic arrived at the scene.
Soon afterwards, an ambulance from the same company also arrived, and later, one from ER24.
An ambulance from JEMS arrived about 20 minutes later.
dumisani.sibeko@inl.co.za
kgopi.mabotja@inl.co.za
The Star
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