Audi Cape Town tyres shooting police cops 27

Photo: City of Cape Town / Twitter

Watch: Cape Town cops lose patience with Audi driver – and shoot his tyres out

A seemingly indestructible Audi withstood a barrage of gunfire on Monday, as police officers in Cape Town desperately tried to stop this getaway driver.

Audi Cape Town tyres shooting police cops 27

Photo: City of Cape Town / Twitter

Well, that’s one way to stop someone in their tracks: The City of Cape Town has defended two of its police officers, after they were seen on camera shooting out the tyres of an Audi driver on the R27. A video of the incident initially sparked an outcry, with some claiming that the gunfire at a busy intersection was rather ‘over-zealous’.

Cape Town cops shoot-out Audi tyres

However, City officials have raced to add context to the clip: According to an official statement, the motorist had committed a serious traffic offence, refused to stop, and then drove into a police car. He then sped away from the scene, and when the cops caught up, they made the decision to stop the getaway driver from advancing any further:

“The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate is aware of various videos doing the rounds. The driver went through a red light and when Metro Police officers tried to stop him, he drove into their vehicle causing damage. He then sped away, but when officers caught up to him and instructed him to exit his car, he refused, they shot at his tyres.”

“The determination of the driver to evade the officers and avoid arrest, compelled them to take alternative measures to stop him. Our officers undergo regular training for such situations. As the video demonstrates the officers on scene took a decision to shoot out the getaway vehicles’ tyres, thus severely limiting his attempts to flee the scene at high speeds.”

City of Cape Town

Watch: Cape Town cops lose patience at R27 crossroads

  • The Cape Town chaos continued from there…

‘Audi drive away from that?’

However, this heavy-handed bit of policing didn’t work out as planned. The Audi defiantly drove off once more, and the vehicle came to its final resting place when the man behind the wheel clarted his motor into some garage doors. It’s safe to say this chap shouldn’t have been on the road, and the City of Cape Town supports the actions taken by the cops.

“When he sped away a second time, officers followed him. He subsequently rammed through parking garage doors and entered a parking garage of a building where they followed and arrested him. The suspect refused to obey a lawful instruction to stop and exit the vehicle, but instead continued in his attempts to resist arrest and evade the Cape Town officers.”

“Officers were forced to take immediate action in an attempt to immobilise his vehicle. With an alarming level of violence been displayed against our officers and levels of increased lawlessness on our road, our officers are often forced to make difficult decisions in the course of their duties. The shooting has been reported to IPID, as required.”

City of Cape Town