Johannesburg - A metro police officer was shot dead in a shootout with hijackers in Meadowlands on Friday, Soweto police said.
Around 8pm, SA Police Service officers were patrolling in Meadowlands when they picked up a tracker signal for a stolen car, said Warrant Officer Kay Makhubela.
“They got a signal of a BMW hijacked in Johannesburg during the day,” he said.
At the same time, officers of the Johannesburg metro police patrolling undercover, also picked up the same tracker signal.
The SAPS officers and the metro officers separately tracked down the car.
“When they approached the BMW, police and metro police were coming from either side,” Makhubela said.
“Three suspects standing outside the car saw the police. They started shooting at police and police returned fire.”
The two metro officers, who were in civilian clothes, were caught in the crossfire.
“One died at the scene and the other was taken to hospital,” he said.
The suspected hijackers fled the scene,
“One left a pistol behind and the hijacked car was recovered.
Police were investigating a case of murder and attempted murder, said Makhubela. - Sapa