Johannesburg police early this week shot a 31-year old woman during the University of Johannesburg student protest. The gun shot victim, a Ms. Titsi was shot by a rubber bullet while crossing a road near the student protests. She told reporters that she had told the police that she was not involved in the protests but a few moments later the police opened fire.The question is whether or not the police’s actions were excessive?

From what I understand from the article from News24.co.za, it seems like the police just assumed that Ms. Titsi was involved in the protests and they just fired at her. What is more disturbing is firstly, did the police see that she was not part of the protest? She was crossing a road and I assume she did not look like a student protestor, was she singing a revolutionary song or involved in marching type behaviour? Well, I was not there but there maybe a problem in the police’s trigger happy reaction to Ms. Titsi crossing of a public road. Secondly, were the police under fire from the students, so as to justify using lethal force? From my understanding of these situations protestors are normally armed with rocks and stones. They usually never have weapons, let me say guns. Stones and rocks vs. guns is a mismatch of note. And why did the police not fire teargas to the group of students protesting? Maybe they did but they did not need to fire a gun at one person.

It seems to me that the police overreacted. Unfortunately I am commenting using one source of information and I do not have the police’s side. Be that as it may, I hope that Ms. Titsi was brandishing a firearm or weapon or was a clear and eminent threat to the police for them to fire a gun. I hope that the SAPS has procedures and protocols on how to approach a threat be it one person or a group. You would think the SAPS has had much practise with rioting/protesting groups in light of the recent problems in some Guateng and Northwest Province Townships. South Africa has had its fair share of civil strife and I think there are plenty of experienced men and women in the SAPS who know how to deal with a women crossing a road in the vicinity of a protest. In light of this I am inclined to believe that the SAPS overacted and acted outside their mandate of controlling and diffusing a student protest.

I hope this is a lesson learned by the SAPS in effective riot/protest control. However, I think this is not the first and may not be the last incidence of such behaviour by the South African law enforcement. Therefore, I hope Ms. Titsi sues the SAPS for medical costs and punitive damages caused by what maybe reckless and dangerous behaviour by those trusting with protecting the public.