Cape Town - An 18-year-old has handed himself over to cops in connection with the shooting of a metro police officer.
The cop was hit in the finger and abdomen in Athwood Road, Hanover Park, on Thursday morning following a shootout with a criminal.
Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the teen's surrender a few hours later: "At about 8:40pm an 18-year-old man, accompanied by his legal representative, came to hand himself over to Philippi police, claiming he had shot at the metro police officials earlier in the day."
The suspect may not be identified until he appears in the Athlone Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of attempted murder.
According to police, the teen is an alleged member of either the Okka Boys or Ghettos gangs.
Meanwhile Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says the shot cop, Constable Alfred Zeegers, is lucky to be alive.
“Constable Zeegers was discharged from hospital on Saturday. The bullet that hit his gut could not be found, but he is lucky that it did not penetrate any organs,” Smith explained.
“There was, however, a bullet found in his index finger and it was safely removed. Zeegers can now go home to his (pregnant) wife, and his young daughter,” Smith said.
Another officer was lightly injured in the same attack when a bullet grazed his hand.
Smith said Zeegers and two colleagues were stopped by residents and informed of a nearby shooting.
“Upon arrival they saw a group of suspicious-looking guys on the corner and stopped the vehicle."
“It was then when the suspect, dressed in black jeans and T-shirt, ran towards the vehicle and fired two shots. The officers ducked, but not fast enough it seems,” he said.
He said the cops gave chase, but retreated when they saw gangsters regrouping and opted to wait for back-up. “It was only then when Zeegers realised he had been hit.”
Smith said he will propose a strategy to Mayco members to help curb gang violence.
“Like we did in Manenberg when the Stabilisation Unit was brought in to calm the area down, I now want to propose that 10 other units be created for the 10 worst stations in the city over the next five years. These continuous flare-ups cannot keep happening and the shooter in the Hanover Park incident will be held accountable.”