A body builder is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot in the head at point blank range by a police officer after taunting him and yelling: ‘Shoot me! Shoot me!’
Father-of-two Len Cloete, 54, had been confronted by at least four armed officers at a holiday lodge in Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa, after a bitter altercation with staff.
It is thought he had rowed with the management of the Misty Hills Country Hotel because a room was not ready for him and his wife Chantal, 46, upon arrival.
Shocking moment police officer fires at Len Cloete, 42, during a fierce stand-off at a hotel in South Africa
Video footage shows gym owner Mr Cloete taunting police officers in his underwear at the Misty Hills Country Hotel
Footage shows Mr Cloete brandishing a gun during a heated argument with armed police officers before he is shot in the head
Police sources say he had been asked to leave with a full refund but refused, before becoming enraged by the arrival of the South African Police.
In a video Mr Cloete – who owns the Vo2 Max Fitness Centre in Rietvleirand in Pretoria – is seen in his underwear confronting cops who asked him to pack up and leave.
The gym owner then walks away from the officers and says to a woman believed to be his wife: ‘Where is my gun?’, before being heard cocking the weapon.
A female police officer can be heard saying: ‘Now you are playing dangerous’.
He shouts back at her: ‘Whose playing dangerous? You f*****g cowards. Come on!’
He shows the four armed cops his gun and looks to point it at them and says angrily: ‘Come on you f*****g a******s.
‘The problem is I know how to use this f*****g thing’.
Wife Chantal can be heard shouting: ‘Guys you are supposed to protect us, really’.
Mr Cloete goads: ‘These guys? These guys? I am ashamed of you I am sorry to say.’
He then grabs the female officer’s gun and disarms her as he shouts angrily: ‘I’m not asking how if or when or what, take that gun, shoot me, shoot me!’
Father-of-two Len Cloete, 54, had been confronted by at least four armed cops at a holiday lodge in Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa, after a bitter altercation with staff (pictured with wife Chantal, 46)
It is thought Mr Cloete had rowed with the management of the Misty Hills Country Hotel (pictured) because a room was not ready for him and his wife Chantal upon arrival
It is then that a male officer pulls out his firearm and fires one shot at point blank range into the aggressor’s head, causing him to collapse in a heap.
The video shows the muzzle of the gun exploding in vivid orange as he opens fire.
A woman thought to be Chantal screams that Mr Cloete is ‘dead’.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and transported the shot businessman to hospital where is said to be in a deep coma.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Grace Langa said the shooting happened just after midnight on Saturday following an altercation.
She said: ‘The manager asked the guest to leave saying the lodge would refund him but he refused the request from the manager and then he became aggressive.
‘Police officers were called to assist and when the police arrived the guest started fighting with them and took a firearm out of the bed drawer and he cocked it.
‘It is alleged the victim disarmed one police officer of their firearm.
Wife Chantal, who was a recent Mrs Pretoria finalist and is a poetry book author and has her own clothing design range, is said to be ‘completely broken’ by the shooting (pictured with Mr Cloete)
‘The guest was in possession of two firearms then one police officer took out his service pistol and shot that guest once in the head.’
Wife Chantal, who was a recent Mrs Pretoria finalist and is a poetry book author and has her own clothing design range, is said to be ‘completely broken’ by the shooting.
She said on Facebook: ‘My husband is fighting for his life. My heart are [sic] completely broken. Taking day by day. We miss you! Your kids are waiting for you.
‘Fight my man I cannot lose you, not like this. Please pray for a miracle everyone.
‘He was shot and is currently in a coma. We love you my angel my man my everything.’
‘Please come back to us’ added Chantal, who also works as an estate agent.
The couple were married five years ago and have a daughter aged around seven and a son aged around three and both are very well known characters in the capital Pretoria.
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