Self-Defense Claim Emerges in Fatal Shooting of Former Boxer

Image Source: David Knox appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on 22 July 2024. Knox is accused of killing former professional boxer, Mark Strydom. Picture: Orrin Singh/EWN

Published by Everything ZA News

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – The family of David Knox, the man accused of murdering former heavyweight boxer Mark Strydom, maintains Knox acted in self-defense during a deadly altercation at a sports bar in Edenvale over the weekend.

Strydom was shot and killed by Knox at the Grand Slam bar on Saturday night. Knox appeared in court on Monday and was granted bail of R5,000.

Jacqueline Knox, David’s wife, insists they were innocent bystanders at the establishment with their two sons when Strydom confronted her husband. “We were there innocently,” she asserts. “Now we’re being punished for somebody else who was drinking the whole day.”

According to Jacqueline’s account, the situation escalated into a physical altercation. She claims Strydom, a well-known figure in Johannesburg’s boxing scene, even drew his own firearm and fired several shots into the ceiling before Knox retaliated with deadly force, shooting Strydom twice.

“The Grand Slam is a bar,” she argues. “Why do they not have bouncers there to see who is coming in there and who’s bringing guns in there and stuff like that?”

The details surrounding the altercation remain unclear. Police have not confirmed Jacqueline Knox’s version of events, which includes the claim that Strydom initiated the violence and fired his own weapon.

Adding another layer of complexity, Strydom himself owned a private investigation firm named Striker Investigations. Whether this fact played a role in the events leading to his death remains unknown.

Knox, a former police officer who now runs a tow truck business, is scheduled to return to court next week. The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and the full picture of what transpired at the Grand Slam bar remains to be determined.