Heather Hogan
Leandro de Beer, a security officer in Potchefstroom, arrested three armed robbers by tricking them into thinking he was a police dog.
The employee of Mooi Rivier Protection was patrolling the area when he spotted three men attempting to break into a shop. He shouted at them and they fled.
De Beer chased them until they ran into an underground parking lot. Knowing there was no other exit, he phoned the police but they did not arrive.
“I stepped forward and told them to come out. They didn’t budge, so I told them if they didn’t hand themselves over, I’d let my dog loose on them. I started barking … and they fell for it.”
De Beer then turned the would-be robbers over to the police. He received a medal for this act from the Security Officers’ Board. It is his second medal.