Members of the Evaton community attacked police after a three-year-old boy was killed by a drunk driver, Gauteng police said on Monday.
The mob wanted police to hand the driver over to them, spokesperson Captain William Velaphi Mcera said.
The incident took place on Bengu Road in Evaton on Sunday afternoon.
The nineteen-year-old driver was taken to Sebokeng hospital for alcohol tests.
He was then detained on charges of reckless and negligent driving and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Mcera said police were concerned at the behaviour of the community at the scene of the accident.
”[The community] demanded that we hand over the driver of the vehicle that was involved in the accident and started throwing stones — this resulted in one police official sustaining head injuries.
”Police had to use minimum force to dismiss the angry crowd that wanted to take the man by force.”
Mcera said police had to call for back-up to control the crowd.
He said attacking police and emergency personnel at a crime scene was intolerable.
”The evidence at the crime scene is important in that it determines the outcome of the case in a court of law.”
A case of assault and defeating the ends of justice has been opened against those who attacked the police official.
The arrested driver would appear in the Sebokeng Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, police said. — Sapa