Post by Focus on Feb 28, 2013 12:15:46 GMT
This is the moment a taxi driver was tied to a South African police van and dragged for 400 metres - because he parked on the wrong side of the road.
Mido Macia, 27, was later found dead in police custody after the assault in the Daveyton township.
Fellow detainees told reporters that Mr Macia was also beaten up by police in the station.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT Scroll down for video ...
In this still frame, taxi driver Mida Macia is shown being dragged along the road by a moving police van, with his limbs carried by officers
Footage posted by a South African newspaper shows Mido Macia, dressed in a red jumper, black trousers and white trainers, being surrounded by police officers in a scuffle
A crowd gathered as at least four officers were seen to be manhandling Mr Macia
Amateur footage posted online today shows Mr Macia, dressed in a red T-shirt, black trousers and white trainers, being manhandled by police as a large crowd gathered.
The shaky video shows Mr Macia being dragged towards the police van, before the crowd gets in the way of the camera.
One onlooker told The Daily Sun that police officers drove Mr Macia's Toyota Avanza away before returning to the scene with a police van.
Officers slammed one of the van doors in the taxi driver's face, leaving him covered in blood.
Mr Macia was heard begging officers to stop the assault.
When the crowd parts, Mr Macia has had his hands handcuffed above his head and to the inside of the van.
The officer driving the van is seen to reverse while Mr Macia tries to stop himself being caught underneath.
Members of the crowd are seen filming on their smartphones as officers pick up his legs and carry him as the van pulls away.
They then drop him on the floor and he is dragged along the road.
One onlooker told the South African Daily Sun that Mr Macia was heard begging police to stop the assault
Mr Macia was held with his hands handcuffed above his head before the driver of the police van pulled away
The van stops again and two police officers pick up a leg each and run behind the van as it picks up speed.
Again, they dropped his limbs as the van drove out of the camera's sight.
Other people held in the cells as the Daveyton police station told The Daily Sun: 'They killed him. They beat him up so badly in here.'
A post-mortem examination found Mr Macia died of head injuries with internal bleeding and had other injuries. An inquest has been opened.
A spokesman for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate said that a murder investigation had begun and claimed that a firearm was taken from a police officer during the scuffle.
Despite his plea for police to stop attacking him, officers carried on beating Mr Macia
Mr Macia was dragged down the street by a moving police van while two officers picked up his legs
Officers dropped Mr Macia's legs once more and he was dragged along the ground
The van sped away from the crowd with Mr Macia still handcuffed to the back
He said: 'The warrant officer overpowered the taxi driver and handed the firearm back to his colleague.
'The policemen put the resisting suspect into the back of the police van and took him to the police station where he was detained.
'The taxi driver was found dead at about 21.15 by another police officer.'
'The IPID is also investigating allegations that the deceased was dragged on the road with the police vehicle.
WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT :
Horrendous - absolutely horrendous!! - Fx 
