Durban - An eyewitness account of the shooting in which a police officer was killed on a Pietermaritzburg shooting range on Wednesday described the incident as a “freak accident”.
The witness said about 27 officers had been attending a course at the range.
He said the group of policemen, from various units across the province, were at the range for a course.
The deceased officer, part of the Durban Flying Squad, has been identified as Malcolm Goodwin.
The officers were outside the shooting range. He said they usually had classes to do the theory and then go to the shooting range for shooting practice.
At the range they were instructed to do weapon safety. They moved from the theory part and started to enact a scene outside the range, he said.
He said the officers were divided into groups to enact scenes.
“These guys were in the first group. As they simulated, this guy (the shooter) fired a shot and hit … the deceased on the chest … The deceased was acting as a resisting bystander.”
He said the onlooking officers were “in complete shock” when the fatal shot went off.
The shooter was “shattered”, he said.
“He instantly dropped the gun to the ground and ran to his aid. He fervently tried to perform CPR on him, pleading for him to hang in there – to not die. The rest of the guys called ambulances.
“He didn’t die instantly because he was momentarily conscious – breathing normally,” he said.
Goodwin was taken to a private Pietermaritzburg hospital where he later died.
“The hospital said the bullet severed an artery,” he said.
“It was a freak accident. He honestly shot him by mistake. This guy didn’t think there were rounds in the chamber, and if he did, he wouldn’t have fired the shot.”
Police spokesman Brigadier Jay Naicker confirmed the incident on Wednesday, saying the Durban officer had been killed while attending shooting practice.
“The incident took place at 10am yesterday (on Wednesday) morning. He passed away while in theatre. A case of culpable homicide will be investigated by detectives at Mountain Rise. We will not be in a position to comment further at this early stage of the investigation.”
Meanwhile, colleagues and friends shared their condolences on social media.
Patrick Herron said on Facebook: “This is to a guy … I regard as one of my best friends from the Durban Accident Combating Team (Durban Flying Squad).
“To Malcolm, your memory will never be lost. I will never forget how you put a smile on our faces and how you made us laugh with big tears.
“Today is another sad day for all of us in blue, including our ex-members.”
He then confirmed that Goodwin had been killed by a police colleague.
“You will be in my memories forever … I am so broken today.”
Another colleague, Sharlane Naidoo, wrote: “Heaven has gained another angel. May his soul rest in peace.”
Others simply wrote: “RIP.”
Cyndy Beard also wrote on Facebook: “Today we have lost a member of our family.
“May God’s hand be over his family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Last week, another law enforcement officer was killed by a colleague.
Senior Superintendent Pumla Dlamini was shot multiple times in front of the offices of the Msunduzi Municipality’s traffic department by a junior officer and died later in hospital.
The Mercury