The disgruntled pupil is under police guard in hospital.
Police on Friday warned the public to stop the “senseless circulation” of the shooting and wounding of a man who had been breaking windows at Mmametlake Secondary School in JS Moroka.
The video taken at the school premises went viral on Thursday (7 Mar) this week.
It shows the man who officials say was a pupil at the school smashing the school’s windows.
When a police van arrives he turned to it and began throwing bricks at it.
But the police reversed their van hurriedly and thereafter shot at the man. He is currently recovering in hospital.
Mpumalanga police boss Lieutenant-General Mondli Zuma said he was “perturbed by [the] incident” and “cautioned members of the community to refrain from the senseless and reckless circulation of the video due to the sensitive material contained”.
“Information at police disposal revealed that the police were dispatched to the school at Mmametlhake, near Pretoria, after receiving a complaint that learners were fighting. On their arrival, however, they discovered that in actual fact, a certain man was busy damaging windows of the school with bricks, an incident which terrified the educators and learners,” said Zuma.
“It was later brought to the attention of the police that the said man had come to the school demanding to see the principal when told that it would not be feasible for him to see the principal at the time. He then reportedly went on the rampage destroying the windows of the school, hence police were called.
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“The same man can be seen on the video, directing his violent acts towards the police by throwing bricks at the marked police vehicle, upon their arrival. He, without doubt, had a clear intention to inflict deadly injuries to the female member who was a van crew. She had to dive trying to dodge the rain of bricks that the suspect hurled at them.
“The perpetrator somehow managed to open the door of the police van while it was still in motion. It was during that process that the member (female) fell out of the vehicle sustaining minor injuries,” said Zuma.
Meanwhile, JS Moroka mayor Thulare Madileng visited the school on Friday morning and other officials from the education department to show their support to teachers and the learners.
(edited by ZK, with ANA)
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