Durban - Police have shot dead one of South Durban’s most wanted hijacking and armed robbery suspects and arrested another, both of whom were involved in the killing and disarming of a security guard near Clairwood Racecourse.
The shooting of the guard happened under a bridge in Duranta Road on Tuesday, close to the racecourse, where guards had been hired to keep the peace between rival taxi associations.
Two men, aged 24 and 27, disarmed the security guard – who police at the scene said had also been celebrating his birthday on Tuesday – and shot him dead before fleeing with his firearm.
One of the men was arrested after he surrendered in Kasuali Road, Merebank. The second was shot dead in a homeowner’s yard after he had climbed over the fence to escape from the police.
The arrested man was found in possession of a 9mm pistol.
Provincial police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said a murder, armed robbery and an inquest docket had been opened at the Wentworth police station.
A police source told the Daily News the two men matched the descriptions of men wanted for several hijackings and armed robberies in the South Durban area.
Fled
The source said that after the suspects had fled from the guard’s shooting, they tried to hijack a car and later a military vehicle.
Both drivers got away, but officers from a neighbouring police station witnessed the attempted hijackings and called for back-up.
“At this time a police van from Montclair happened to be driving by. When the suspects saw the police vehicle, they shot at them,” the source said.
The officers returned fire and called for back-up.
Provincial vehicle tracking task team officers who were nearby responded, but came under attack.
Police and robbers exchanged fire in the streets of Merebank before the gunfight ended in Kasuali Road where one of the robbers was shot in the head.
“Seeing that, his accomplice threw his gun to the ground and held up his hands,” the source said.
Daily News