East Rand sergeant to appear for civilian shooting

A police sergeant was expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Friday for allegedly shooting dead an unarmed civilian outside the police station.

He stands accused of killing Jeanette Odendaal (45) after she reportedly crashed into a stationary police vehicle in the parking area.

The Star newspaper on Friday reported that police National Commissioner General Bheki Cele had met with Odendaal’s parents.

The couple had travelled from Middelburg on Thursday to identify their daughter’s body.

“A violent society does impact on a society and a community, and we are not recruiting from the moon, they are coming from this society,” Cele reportedly said.

The Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) was investigating the incident that happened on Tuesday at about 8.30pm.

ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini said it was believed that the policeman mistook the sound of the crash for gunshots.

Car guard Sipho Baloyi told newspapers this week that he had alerted the police to the bumper-bashing accident and witnessed the 38-year-old sergeant shooting her from a close range.

Dlamini said it was not clear why Odendaal had gone to the police station.

Beeld newspaper said she had wanted to report a case of disturbance of peace. - Sapa