Pretoria – The SAPS is investigating how a man managed to climb on to the rooftop of the police station in Sunnyside, before he made threats to commit suicide by jumping off the building.
IOL visited the scene on Tuesday where the middle-aged man, wearing black, negotiated for hours with authorities before he eventually came down.
The police station was closed for hours, with police officers angrily stopping community members from taking photographs.
Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo, said the rescued man had been sent for mental evaluation.
VIDEO: After several hours of negotiations, the man on top of @SAPoliceService Sunnyside has come down - with a crowd of onlookers cheering. Some residents questioning how the man got there in the first place @IOL @pretorianews @TheStar_news pic.twitter.com/6EzOhY05uI
“He eventually co-operated with the police and agreed to come down, unharmed,” said Masondo.
“After questioning the man, police opened an inquiry docket and referred the man to a medical care centre for further observation.
“Part of the inquiry is to establish how the man got to the top of the police station,” he said.
Masondo said at around midday on Tuesday, police officers noticed the man on the roof of the Sunnyside police station.
“The man threatened to throw himself down if anyone came near him.
“The police chaplain and hostage negotiator were able to convince the man to come down after several attempts by the police and members of the emergency service,” said Masondo.
Some residents of Sunnyside gathered to watch the spectacle, with some complaining the police station was “dysfunctional”.
Some joked the man had “shut down” the police station, in reference to the national shutdown led by the EFF on Monday.
“The station doesn’t work anyway and I think he is there to raise awareness. Whether Sunnyside police station is open or closed, it’s all the same,” remarked one onlooker.
Another onlooker, Isabel Mahlangu, said the incident has “exposed” the police station.
“In Sunnyside we are sick and tired of crime happening right in front of the cops. The question we must be asking is, how did he get there? Are we safe in this country if the police can be compromised like this?” she said.
“Sunnyside SAPS is rotten and it is why even nyaope boys are taking it for granted. It’s a circus here,” she added.
Tshwane Emergency Services’ Thabo Mabaso said they were called to the scene around midday on Tuesday, and a fire engine had been deployed to the scene.
“We found a man on the rooftop of the Sunnyside police station threatening suicide. We put resources on standby, a fire engine and a ladder company. Just after 1pm, we handed over the scene to the police,” Mabaso said.
Mabaso said they stayed on the scene until the man was rescued by police officers.
IOL