"Police Running from Criminals": Armed Saps Officer Runs from Crowd Attacking Him, Sa Divided

• A uniformed SAPS officer was filmed fleeing from a crowd in a South African urban area in footage that quickly went viral on TikTok
• The police officer ran without reaching for his weapon, and a bystander was heard shouting at the crowd not to shoot
• • South Africans online were divided, with some mocking the officer and others praising his restraint during the tense situation

A South African Police Service officer found himself in the middle of a tense and chaotic street situation, and the moment was caught on camera. TikTok user @kingzoso_saa posted the footage on 9 October 2026.

The clip, filmed candidly from across the road, shows a uniformed SAPS officer running through an urban area with apartment buildings and a marked police vehicle in the background. Rocks were reportedly thrown at the officer as he fled. The video spread rapidly, racking up over 6,000 comments.

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What caught many viewers' attention was that the officer did not draw his weapon during the chase. One bystander was heard shouting at the crowd not to shoot, a moment that many online credited with preventing the situation from escalating further. Some found the clip by @kingzoso_saa funny. Others saw something more serious in it, raising questions about the safety of officers and the state of policing in South Africa. Watch the viral clip here:

Mzansi Reacts to the SAPS Video

The comments section was flooded with a mix of laughter, concern and praise:

@Lentsoane Holdings said:

"The guy who shouted at the police not to shoot literally saved that police officer's career."

@Kevin Chetty wrote:

"The police of these days are running from criminals 🤣"

@Jack Seko added:

"If police run, who do you think will save the people? That's how messed up we're now 😂"

@T W D noted:

"They can laugh at him, but oksalayo (regardless), he saved his life and his job. Good job, officer 👊"

@Car Maintenance Willy observed:

"If you look nicely at first, the police officer was running without holding any weapon until he saw that in this situation he must protect himself."

@crazybndzlt🇿🇦 shared:

"You guys might laugh, but I feel the reason he didn't shoot is that he is for the people and is for the protest and chose not to act. Much respect to him!"

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Other Briefly News stories about viral SAPS interactions

• A viral TikTok video posted by user @spellboundmagic showed a South African police officer pursuing a suspect running down the street.
• Security footage from the Johannesburg CBD captured five SAPS officers walking into an active business robbery before turning and running in opposite directions.
• A viral video shared by TikTok user @welcome_x5 captured a SAPS officer retreating as a man slowly advanced toward him while dragging a shovel.

Source: Briefly News