Cape Town – A police officer has died after being shot allegedly by a colleague at the Kraaifontein police station on Wednesday night.
The policeman, only known to the Cape Argus as Constable Mouton, was a member of the Tygerberg cluster stabilisation unit.
The incident occurred at around 8:30pm. The two officers were sitting in their vehicle which was parked at the station.
It is alleged the firearm accidentally discharged striking Mouton in the chest. The police officer died at the scene.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) spokesperson Moses Dlamini said the incident was being investigated.
Dlamini said: “It was an accidental shooting. The police officer was cleaning his firearm when it discharged.”
Kraaifontein Community Police Forum (CPF) chairperson Sila Mawethu said in a briefing with the Kraaifontein police management it was said the police officer was positioning the firearm holster correctly when it accidentally went off.
“The police officer who died was sitting in driver's seat and the other was sitting at the back. He was positioning his firearm to sit correctly as he was getting seated in the car,” said Mawethu.
At the police station, Mawethu said the mood was sombre.
He said the staff morale was low and the environment was tense.
“As you know whenever there is a death people are always down and aura is tense. You can tell that there is a loss – you can see it in their eyes,” said Mawethu.
Mawethu said the police officer whose gun went off was seeking trauma counselling. He said people at the police station said the police officer was still shocked by the incident.
“We would like to send our condolences to the family of the deceased constable. As the CPF we are not privy to internal police procedures and can only rely on the investigation made by IPID,” said Mawethu .