Schooling was disrupted at Freedom Park Secondary school, South of Johannesburg today after a fight broke between school gangs and police officials.
This happened when police went to the school for the school safety programme.
According to pupils the police were doing their routine check at the grade 10 class when one of the pupils suspected to be part of a school gang refused to be searched. He was alleged clapped by a police officer and he also slapped the officer back.
"His gang then rushed to our class to fight with the police. That is when the police fired a shot. They tried to apprehend the boy who slapped the police but he threatened them with a knife. Eventually he was arrested and when placed in the police van, pupils started throwing stones at the police van," said a grade 10 pupil.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said police are investigating a case of public violence after one police officer was slightly injured this morning at the school. Masondo said the police had gone to the school to search the pupils as part of their school safety programme.
“As the police were busy searching in the classrooms they heard the sounds of gun shots. This is when the pupils rushed outside their classrooms and started throwing stones at the police and community patrollers. In the process they damaged one of the police cars," Masondo said.
He said police were still investigating the source of the gun shots which sparked the chaos at the school. This incident happened as police minister Bheki Cele and Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi are out today visiting Kutumela Molefi Primary School in Mamelodi as part of the Gauteng province's school safety programme.
Their visit in Mamelodi follows recent violent incidents affecting pupils in schools.
Gang violence suspected as pupils throw stones at police, injuring one officer
Schooling was disrupted at Freedom Park Secondary school, South of Johannesburg today after a fight broke between school gangs and police officials.
This happened when police went to the school for the school safety programme.
According to pupils the police were doing their routine check at the grade 10 class when one of the pupils suspected to be part of a school gang refused to be searched. He was alleged clapped by a police officer and he also slapped the officer back.
"His gang then rushed to our class to fight with the police. That is when the police fired a shot. They tried to apprehend the boy who slapped the police but he threatened them with a knife. Eventually he was arrested and when placed in the police van, pupils started throwing stones at the police van," said a grade 10 pupil.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said police are investigating a case of public violence after one police officer was slightly injured this morning at the school. Masondo said the police had gone to the school to search the pupils as part of their school safety programme.
“As the police were busy searching in the classrooms they heard the sounds of gun shots. This is when the pupils rushed outside their classrooms and started throwing stones at the police and community patrollers. In the process they damaged one of the police cars," Masondo said.
He said police were still investigating the source of the gun shots which sparked the chaos at the school. This incident happened as police minister Bheki Cele and Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi are out today visiting Kutumela Molefi Primary School in Mamelodi as part of the Gauteng province's school safety programme.
Their visit in Mamelodi follows recent violent incidents affecting pupils in schools.