In a shocking turn of events, a trio of Harare men have been brought to court on charges of assault and kidnapping after allegedly disarming a police officer and shooting him in the knee during a dispute over parking.
The accused, identified as Samuel Tinotenda Muronzi (23), Lionel Rupiya (34), and Jonathan Paul Chishiri (30), appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi. They face serious charges, including assaulting police officers, kidnapping, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
All three suspects were granted bail at $200 each and are scheduled to return to court in two weeks for a routine remand hearing.
The Incident that led to the trio’s arrest
Nigel Chanakira, representing the State, provided a detailed account of the events that transpired on May 28th. According to Chanakira, the incident began around 3:20 PM when the accused were driving a Ford Ranger and encountered the detectives’ Toyota Vigo parked by the roadside.
As the detectives returned to their vehicle after conducting inquiries nearby, the accused allegedly began complaining that their path had been obstructed for too long. Despite the detectives identifying themselves as police officers and attempting to leave, the confrontation escalated.
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Prosecutors allege that Muronzi and his companions pursued the detectives, eventually blocking their vehicle. They then forcibly removed the detectives from their car. During the struggle, Rupiya allegedly disarmed one of the detectives and shot him in the knee.
Escalation and Kidnapping
Muronzi reportedly took control of the firearm while Chishiri secured the detectives’ service pistol. In the ensuing chaos, a female detective managed to escape, but the others were not as fortunate.
According to the court, the suspects forced the detectives into their black Ford Ranger and drove towards the Glen Norah police station. During the drive, Muronzi fired several shots using the stolen firearm.
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However, upon arriving at the police station, the suspects decided to take a different course of action, aiming to assault the detectives at another location. Fortunately, the detectives managed to alert a police officer at the station gate about their kidnapping. The officer quickly responded by lowering the boom gate, preventing the suspects from leaving and leading to their immediate arrest.
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