Share

WATCH | Naked Cape Town man takes police on a bizarre cat-and-mouse game for 18 hours

A Cape Town man, thought to be mentally ill, became embroiled in a drawn-out cat-and-mouse game with the police and emergency services as he hid in a tree, in a room in a private flat, and then finally climbed on top of a block of flats and threw roof tiles at the police, all while naked.

Gardens Neighbourhood Watch chairperson Anthony Rees said the man, who is known in the area as "a bit of a troublemaker" and had spent some time in prison for the theft of carpets in Roeland Street in the CBD, had been spotted naked and jumping over walls in Gardens early on Wednesday.

"He even jumped over two electric fences," said Rees of the bizarre sequence of events which began between 02:00 and 02:30 on Wednesday, and only ended much later in the day. 

'A stint of wall jumping'

He said the stand-off began after a stint of wall jumping was heard in the early hours, and the man then climbed up a tree and sat in the high branches, naked, "talking gibberish".

He then jumped onto another property and vanished. Various neighbourhood watches in the area helped the police and law enforcement officers in their search for him. 

He was eventually located in a block of flats in Mill Street, holed up in a room in a unit on the third floor. 

"The tenant came home to find him barricaded in the room and called the police," Rees said. 

'It was really crazy'

The stand-off continued, with the man lunging at the police with cutlery he had found in the flat.

"It was really crazy," said Rees. 

He had defecated in the room and had splashed paint, which was being used for renovations, all over the flat. 

The man broke through the ceiling and teetered on the roof of the building, throwing roof tiles at the police. 

Power lines in the area were switched off for his safety and he was eventually brought down in a fire services crane and basket. 

Rees said he was sedated by ambulance services and was admitted to hospital for mental observation.

In a statement Lees released of the incident, he said: "Well done to the disciplined [police] members and professional firefighting team who took part in this 18-hour ordeal."

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the incident involving a man described as "mentally challenged".

"The circumstances surrounding this matter are being investigated," he said.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 581 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 822 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.89
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.87
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.38
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE