A man was Tasered and pepper-sprayed twice after he allegedly attempted to hijack a coach with 40 elderly passengers on board and drive it away from the depot.
Emergency services were rushed to the Franklin Street terminal in Adelaide’s CBD after it was reported that a drunk man had entered the bus about 5.45am on Saturday.
South African police said the 28-year-old man was in the driver’s seat of the bus in an agitated state when they arrived and repeatedly refused to leave the vehicle.
When police attempted to remove him from the driver’s seat, two officers were allegedly punched repeatedly in the head, police said in a statement.
Witnesses have since claimed that the man tried to take a female officer’s gun in the melee.
“Police used capsicum spray in an attempt to subdue the man, but he was unsuccessful and he continued attempting to drive the bus,” police said.
“Officers arrived at the scene to assist and a third member was kicked in the head and suffered a split lip.”
A police dog was called to help remove the man from the bus, but was also allegedly attacked, while his handler was punched in the face.
Several police officers were injured following the incident in Adelaide on Saturday (pictured are paramedics and police at the scene at the Franklin Street terminal)
“Capsicum spray was used a second time on the man, he was successfully removed from the bus and arrested,” police said.
The man was taken to the hospital for medical attention.
He is expected to be charged with four counts of assault on an emergency worker, attempted unlawful use and resisting arrest.
Two officers were also taken to hospital after one suffered an eye injury and the other suffered a head injury. No bus passengers were injured.
Pastor Peggy Renata said she feared there would have been deaths if it weren’t for the work of the police.
“We had a bus full of elderly people about to leave Adelaide and a (supposedly) mentally ill man on the bus who appeared to be completely naked,” he said.
“A very violent fight took place on the bus… the police officers who boarded the bus were violently attacked.”
A witness alleged that she saw a 28-year-old man try to take a policewoman’s gun.
He said one police officer thought his jaw was completely broken and another police officer had his eyes gouged out, leaving him immobile.
Steven Egel, 67, said passengers thought the man was going to put the bus in drive and start driving away from the terminal.
‘(It was) pretty bad. I jumped up and tried to help. “I grabbed him and grabbed his arm to make him come back and stop him,” he said.
Witnesses said the man had repeatedly said he wanted to go to Geelong and became nervous when asked to get off the bus.
They said police pepper spray left elderly passengers nauseous.