Zimbabwe's High Court awarded Patricia Dengezi $42,000 after police actions killed her infant son Lesley Chitanda in April 2017. Justice Regis Dembure ruled that three traffic officers created deadly chaos on Chinhoyi Street by throwing spikes and breaking vehicle windows during rush hour. The reckless enforcement caused panicked drivers to flee, forcing one vehicle onto the sidewalk where Dengezi sold goods with her baby. Lesley died instantly when the swerving kombi struck them both.
Police attempted to avoid responsibility by blaming the fleeing driver and destroying case evidence while arrest warrants remained active. Dembure condemned this destruction as an unlawful obstruction of justice and rejected arguments defending the spike deployment. The judge declared such violent tactics unsuitable for modern policing standards, particularly in crowded areas during peak traffic periods. After eight years of legal delays, the ruling holds both police and the Ministry of Home Affairs liable for the tragic death.
Police attempted to avoid responsibility by blaming the fleeing driver and destroying case evidence while arrest warrants remained active. Dembure condemned this destruction as an unlawful obstruction of justice and rejected arguments defending the spike deployment. The judge declared such violent tactics unsuitable for modern policing standards, particularly in crowded areas during peak traffic periods. After eight years of legal delays, the ruling holds both police and the Ministry of Home Affairs liable for the tragic death.
