‘Wrong man arrested’: CCTV footage casts doubt on Reiger Park murder case

South African police have arrested a 23-year-old man in connection with the murders of two Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit officers and two civilians during a violent attack in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni. However, new evidence from closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage has raised questions about whether the correct individual was taken into custody. The footage, obtained by a source familiar with the investigation and shared with IOL, suggests that the accused, Reagan Cheslin Collis, may not be the person who fired the shots. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, August 7, when Constable Thapelo Tlomatsana, 29, and Constable Sphiwe Sibeko, 28, along with two civilian women, Roleen Lessing and Jaydin Margerman, were shot dead. According to police, the officers were part of a crime-prevention patrol when they heard gunfire and drove toward its source, only to be ambushed. The attack happened near Collis' grandmother’s home in the area. Collis, who faces four counts of murder, one of attempted murder, two of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and charges of possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, appeared in court on Wednesday. His case was postponed until August 25 for a formal bail application. He was arrested after police recovered two R5 rifles at the KwaDukathole informal settlement in Germiston over the weekend. A family member claims he was subjected to torture during his detention. The CCTV footage reviewed by the source indicates discrepancies between the official narrative and what appears in the recordings. The footage shows a red Volkswagen Polo arriving at the grandmother’s house, with a woman exiting the vehicle and heading to a nearby shop. Moments later, a silver-grey Polo hatchback arrives, drops off a man near the location of the shooting, and departs. The man is then seen approaching the red Polo and firing at both occupants, who were seated in the front seat. Following the shooting, a man believed to be Collis is shown entering the yard where the incident occurred, running toward a fence, and shouting, “I saw you. I saw you.” In the footage, this man is wearing a maroon hoodie, blue jeans, and white sneakers. Afterward, he is seen attempting to leave the yard and checking on the victims, before being approached by a police vehicle that later collided with a fence at Lakeside Primary School. The source claims that Collis was present in the yard when the officers were shot, although the two incidents occurred at different locations, two houses apart. Community patrollers allegedly witnessed the shooting, though they could not identify the perpetrator due to the suspect’s face being partially obscured. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, preliminary investigations suggest the attack stemmed from a long-standing gang feud involving Collis and his associates. However, the CCTV evidence challenges the assumption that Collis was the shooter. The footage does not show him firing the weapon, nor does it confirm his presence at the scene during the actual shooting of the officers. The source emphasized that the footage raises serious doubts about the accuracy of the police investigation so far. It highlights the need for further scrutiny of the evidence linking Collis to the murders. While police remain confident in their identification of the suspect, the emerging information complicates the case and may lead to calls for a more thorough review of the evidence. The incident has drawn attention from local communities and legal experts, many of whom are urging authorities to ensure transparency in the investigation. With the trial set to proceed, the outcome will depend heavily on how the prosecution addresses the inconsistencies highlighted by the CCTV footage. The case continues to unfold, with key details still under examination.