Going Viral: Driver with Expired License Claims Officers were Aggressive & Slapped Her, in Free State

A facebook post by a Free State mother and driver has gone viral, generating over 37,000 shares by outraged South Africans in less than 15 hours. Sharine Barnard alleges she was ordered to hand over her carkeys yesterday because her license had expired a week ago, and when she requested a ticket instead because she had three children in the car, she was treated aggressively, including being slapped in the face by a female traffic officer. Please note, the officers have not yet released their version of the events…

Version of Events by Sharine Barnard, Facebook, 27 June 2017:

“I was pulled over just now by these traffic officers on the N1 on my way from my farm to Bloemfontein.

“The male officer informed me that my drivers license expired a week ago and that he is going to take my car keys to prevent me from driving any further. I told him he must write me a ticket because I have 3 kids in the car and cannot be without my car, and that I am going to call my husband to come assist me, because he is not being reasonable.

“He then tried to take my car’s keys and my telephone and I closed my window so fast because he was getting aggressive. I told him that he cannot do what he is doing, and he said he can do anything he wants to, because he is an officer of the law and not me. He started writing the ticket and then went to his car to call a female officer.

“On her arrival I opened my window again to talk to her and just as the conversation went a bit south, she put her arm through the open window and slapped me through my face twice.

“I struggled to close my window with her arm halfway through it to get another slap at me, and was so shocked! She called me a f***ing white person and said that they are not scared of me and she will hit me when and if I get out of my car.

“I sat there while they shouted at me over and over that they are not scared of me and they will show me that I am not above the law. It looked like he was taking pictures of me and my car?? To do what with? To harass me on the roads?? I shouted at them that I will lay charges of assault against her, and she said I can go ahead.

“My husband arrived and this is a video of their attitudes.

https://www.facebook.com/sharine.barnard/videos/1979926358699627/

“We were advised by a police officer of Glen that we must go to the station – we will be helped there with the charges and with my statement. At the police station the 1 officer and the captain started yelling at us to keep quiet, because we must not tell them how to do their jobs and they want to listen to the officers.

“After about 20 minutes we had to leave, because the police was not interested in taking the traffic officers names or to have my statement, because they “have to take the traffic officers’ statements first to hear what they have to say and then they will take time to listen to us”.

“I told the police captain that I was just slapped twice through my face by an officer in front of a 12 year old, 11 year old and a 10 year old who are now so scared of a traffic officer and that I want to lay a charge. And she just said she does not need to take any statements from me and I must stop telling her what she must do.

“Even Botha realized that there is absolutely NOTHING to be done and we better leave before we get arrested for trying to speak!!!!! If you open your mouth, you get shouted at in Sotho by police officials!!!!

“I cannot even lay a charge at a police station, because they say they don’t have to hear anything I have to say and that the traffic officer says she will never do something like that!!!!!Now here I am. What the hell!!! Go back tomorrow to just get another useless SAPS officer? And get pulled over by the same people obviously now going to target me, as this is the road I have to drive to the city?”

Sharine then asked everyone who viewed her message to share it so “that their faces and this absurdness can spread as far and wide as possible!!”

One person reading Sharine’s message responded “the aggression seems to be coming from the driver unless I am missing something here”. Most said the officers were out of line.

The South African Police Services (SAPS) told SAPeople: “We have viewed the video and unfortunately cannot speak on behalf of the Traffic Department. However there were allegations of SAPS members who did not want to assist as well. That complaint can be registered for investigation and we encourage everyone to do this in order for the SAPS to improve service delivery. Complainants may submit a complaint directly by visiting your local police station community service centre (CSC), Station Commander, Cluster Commander’s office or Provincial Complaints Coordinators: Management Intervention. OR you can contact us on the following: Province – Free State 051 411 7880/ 7815 071 412 2391 051 411 7816 fs.inspect.nodal@saps.gov.za SAPS National Management Intervention Unit via e-mail: ComplaintsNodalPoint@saps.gov.za Tel: 0800 333 177.”

SAPeople has asked the Free State Traffic Department for their feedback, and we will publish this as soon as we receive it.

View original post here:
www.facebook.com/sharine.barnard/posts/1979932975365632