Second suspect in Reiger Park killings tells court he was ‘brutally’ assaulted by police

Jamal Meyer, the second person charged over the fatal shootings in Reiger Park, told a Boksburg magistrate on Tuesday that he had been “brutally assaulted” by police during his arrest and was experiencing chest pain that required medical attention.

Court appearance and medical request

Meyer made his first appearance at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court after his arrest on Sunday, 16 August. His lawyer, Samkele Kuzani, told the court that Meyer said he was assaulted and sought endorsement on the charge sheet so Meyer could obtain medical treatment. The state did not object to that request.

Charges and custody status

The arrests relate to the killings of two Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit officers, Constables Thapelo Tlomatsana, 29, and Sphiwe Sibeko, 28, and two civilians, Roleen Lessing and Jaydin Margerman. Meyer remains in custody. Earlier, police arrested 23-year-old Reagan Cheslin Collis in connection with the murders; police say Collis is the alleged gunman and he is being held at Modderbee prison for security reasons.

Dispute over Collis’ detention

At Tuesday’s hearing Kuzani argued that Collis should be detained at a prison facility in Boksburg, saying the proper legal procedure had not been followed to keep him at Modderbee. The state prosecutor, Leswikane Mashabela, told the court an existing court order authorised Collis to remain at Modderbee until a specified date and said the state would bring a substantive application once that order lapsed.

Next steps

The matter was postponed to Tuesday, 25 August, when Meyer is expected to appear alongside Collis for a formal bail application.

CCTV footage dispute reported by IOL

According to IOL, a source who had seen CCTV footage disputed the police account and suggested Collis may not have been the shooter. IOL said it has seen the footage. The source told IOL that Collis was inside his grandmother’s house when the shooting happened and that the footage shows another man, wearing a dark hoodie and red tracksuit pants, shooting the two women before fleeing in a silver-grey Volkswagen Polo. The source told IOL that Collis is allegedly seen afterwards confronting the gunman and saying:

“I saw you.”