South African MP opens fire to fend off attack during attempted hijacking
An eminent South African deputy pulled his weapon to repel a violent attack by a gang against him and two of his colleagues in Cape Town.
Ian Cameron – With two other members of the Police Committee of Parliament, Lisa Schickerling and Nicholas Gotsell – returned from a work trip when their vehicle was caught in the canton of Philippi on Tuesday.
The attackers broke the car windows with bricks, injuring Cameron and Gotsell.
Cameron, whose teeth were broken, retaliated by opening fire, injuring one of the attackers.
The police said that two teenagers, aged 16 and 18, had been arrested while they were investigating an attempted murder and attempted diversion.
Crime is a major problem in South Africa and the country has one of the highest levels of murder in the world.
One of the suspects was apprehended as he asked for medical treatment in a hospital on Tuesday, while the other was arrested on a farm early Wednesday, police said, adding that a search was underway for a third suspect.
Cameron, who chairs the police committee, told the Newzroom Afrika broadcaster that they returned from an unexpected visit to a police academy in Philippi when “the first brick went [the window]”On the driver’s side and hit him in the face.
Cameron said that while he was trying to repel his attacker, he saw his colleagues also faced a dam of other attackers.
“I realized that if we do nothing, then it can really be bad. So I did my best to act in self -defense with my firearm, then we accelerated at the closest secure location.”
In South Africa, it is legal to transport a gun as long as you have a license.
Cameron, who was seen with a lip cut in the interview, said that some of his teeth had been broken, while Gotsell was briefly hospitalized after being struck.
Gotsell, speaking after being released from the hospital, congratulated Cameron, saying that he “acted with such bravery”.
The three deputies are members of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second part of the largest coalition government party in South Africa.
The party said the attack showed how “uncontrollable” crime is in South Africa.
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