By Noelene Barbeau
Captain Michele Pitout, the Gamalakhe SAPS station commissioner who was shot in the head, died this morning.
Pitout, Inspector Trevor Moodley and Detective Constable Grant Phelukhwayo were wounded after a shootout with armed burglars at a South Coast home last week.
Police tried to search the men who then opened fire, shooting both Pitout and Phelukhwayo in the head.
Moodley was shot in the shoulder and fell, but managed to shoot one of the burglars.
Bleeding heavily, he carried the injured officers to a police vehicle with the assistance of his colleague, Inspector Ian van Staaden, and drove them to hospital.
One man was killed and six others were arrested.
The men face charges of attempted murder, housebreaking and possession of unlicensed firearms.
The shooting of the officers and the high crime rate in the area resulted in a massive police raid in Gamalakhe yesterday morning.
Pitout's husband, Ian, said his wife passed away at 8.10am.
"Doctors at the hospital yesterday performed a brain function test to determine if there was any activity... and found that there was no activity.
"From there her condition started to deteriorate."
Ian said he could not keep his wife on the machine indefinitely and the family, including his two daughters, were preparing for the worst from yesterday.
"My older daughter knows what is going on, but the younger one does not understand."
He said he was making funeral arrangements.
Inspector Moodley, who helped rescue Pitout and Phelukhwayo, said he had heard that Pitout had died, but was too upset to comment.
Last week, national Police Commissioner Bheki Cele commended the officers for their bravery.
Cele strongly condemned the incident and maintained his stance that police should act decisively in life-threatening situations and not allow themselves to fall victims to ruthless criminals.