A MAN allegedly committed suicide in the Port Alfred SAPS holding cells last Friday after being arrested for stealing a chocolate.
The man appeared in a MultiSecurity incident report after being apprehended for shoplifting at Highway Motors/Buddy Burgers last Thursday night.
MultiSecurity control room received a panic signal from the premises at about 8.30pm and dispatched a response officer. He made contact with the cashier, who informed him that one of the beggars stole a chocolate and ran down Bathurst Street towards Station Hill.
The shoplifter was described as a tall, skinny man. Police joined the search and caught the suspect with the help of MultiSecurity. He was taken back to the shop and handed over the Port Alfred police at 9pm.
TotT learned from members of the community about the man’s death in a police cell between Thursday night and Friday morning.
Provincial police spokesman Captain Khaya Tonjeni said he was unable to answer our queries and referred us to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), as they had been called to the scene. He declined to provide a contact number.
Tott was unable to contact Ipid’s Eastern Cape office.
Ipid national office’s acting media liaison officer Grace Langa said she could not help with TotT’s request as she was seeing to catering for an event.
