Johannesburg - Police in KwaZulu-Natal said on Tuesday that they shot dead a suspected hijacker and arrested his alleged accomplice after a car chase.
Bayview Police said in the early hors of Tuesday morning they noticed a Grey VW Polo vehicle driving at high speed on Sheridan Road and decided to follow the car. “The occupants noticed the marked police vehicle following them and began firing at police. Police returned fire fatally wounding one suspect,” Major Thulani Zwane said.
The second suspect was arrested and the third managed to flee the scene on foot after their vehicle crashed.
The vehicle was identified as having being hijacked from the Chatsworth area. “A firearm was also recovered from the scene and it will be taken for ballistic tests to establish if it was used in any other crimes in the province,” Zwane said.
“The arrested suspect (A 27-year-old) will be charged for being in possession of property suspected to be stolen, possession of unlicensed firearm and attempted murder. He will appear in the Chatsworth Magistrates Court soon. We believe that both men might be linked to other hijackings in the area.” Zwane said.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the police saying: “We will work around the clock to ensure that the outstanding suspect who managed to flee, is arrested. Due to our festive operations, more members will be deployed in hot spot areas to curb crimes such as robberies and hijackings”.
Ngobeni added: “Criminals need to be aware that our police officers mean business and we will never be intimidated by their attacks”.
ANA