Man chews cop's hand while resisting arrest

A 31-yeear-old Bulawayo man is said to have allegedly chewed a police officer's hand and tried to stab him with an okapi knife as he violently resisted arrest.

Hloniphani Nkomazana, appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was remanded in custody to December 2.

Prosecuting Kingstone Mkanganwi said Nkomazana intentionally assaulted Fixon Sibanda whom he knew was a police officer.

"Nkomazana assaulted and bit Sibanda while he was in police uniform. He knew fully well what he was doing," he said.

The court heard that on November 22 at around 2am in a bushy area between Mpopoma Drive and National Railways of Zimbabwe, Nkomazana was in the company of his friend when Sibanda approached them.

Sibanda was on night patrol with two other police officers when he saw Nkomazana and his friend. He ordered them to stop.

Nkomazana and his friend allegedly took to their heels. Sibanda gave chase and caught Nkomazana who bit the cop on his hand in a bid to escape before he produced an okapi knife and attempted to stab him. The other police officers rushed to restrain him.

Nkomazana told the court that he knew that Sibanda was a police officer when he bit him but he did not produce a knife.

"Your worship, I admit I bit Sibanda on his hand in a bid to escape but I never attempted to stab him. The only knife that I had was in my pocket and I never took it out so how could I have used it?" he asked.