Two South African police officers have been charged with murder after the death of a teenager with disabilities sparked violent protests in Johannesburg.
"The two suspects have been charged with murder, discharge of a firearm in a public place, being in possession of prohibited ammunition and defeating the ends of justice," said Ndileka Cola, spokeswoman of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
The two men, named as Sergeant SS Ndyalvane and Constable C Whiteboy, have been remanded into custody.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed sadness last week over the death of Nathaniel Julius, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome.
Relatives of the child blamed police for his death, saying he was standing outside his home eating biscuits when he was shot because he was unable to communicate properly due to his disability, local media reported.
In a statement, his sister Petunia Julius described her family's heartbreak.
“My family is broken. He could not speak or express himself properly. What I loved about my brother is that he could communicate with people his own way. He would greet everyone outside in his own special manner,” she said.
However, police initially said they were not sure who pulled the trigger, claiming Julius was killed in the crossfire in a shoot-out between police and gang members in the Eldorado Park neighbourhood.
On Thursday violent clashes broke out between residents protesting the death and police, who fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
The shooting caught the attention of US musician and sister of Beyonce, Solange Knowles, who included the South African teen's name in a tweet about African American victims of police violence.
