Simba lays charge against cops

Johannesburg - Heavyweight boxer Flo Simba has laid a charge of assault against a group of Johannesburg police officers who allegedly attacked him and his fiancé, The Star reported on Tuesday.

Simba and Leandra Beyers were assaulted on Sunday near Tulisa Park, south of Johannesburg. According to the paper a police car pulled up behind the pair and officers wanted to search his car for drugs.

"They started pushing me around. I told them 'I'm not resisting, you can search me, just stop pushing me'," Simba was quoted as saying.

When the search produced nothing, he said an officer wanted him to take off his pants.

"I told them 'you can't do that, you can't disrespect me'," he said.

The Black Panther, as he is known in the ring, was then assaulted. Beyers started taking down the officers' names and pictures of the attack.

Simba told the paper the officers pushed and slapped Beyers. He tried to put himself between her and the attackers, but was handcuffed to a gate and Beyers was pulled away. An officer was "hitting, kicking and punching her all over her face and body", Simba told the paper.

He suffered head trauma while Beyers had a broken tooth, a swollen eye, and bruising on the body.

Police spokesperson constable Rebecca Bila told the paper Simba opened a case of assault. She added that the pair were arrested for drug possession, interfering with police, and assault.