Durban — A shoot-out between police and suspects alleged to have murdered a man at the start of the month, resulted in the death of five suspects and police recovering two firearms.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the incident happened on July 15 at the Bhucanana area in the Ntambanana policing precinct, northern KZN.
Netshiunda said police officers from the Provincial Taxi Violence Task Team were acting on intelligence when they saw a vehicle matching the description of a sedan in which the suspects were travelling in.
He said the police introduced themselves and ordered the suspects’ vehicle to stop, but the suspects sped off and a high-speed chase ensued.
“The driver of the suspects’ vehicle lost control and the vehicle crashed into a fence and before the police knew it, they were under gunfire. The tactically astute Task Team officers returned fire and a shoot-out ensued,” Netshiunda said.
“Five suspects were fatally wounded during the shoot-out and two firearms were found in their possession.”
Netshiunda said the dead suspects were sought in connection with the murder of a 31-year-old man who was shot and killed on July 1 at a taxi rank in the Ndlangubo area in Eshowe.
“The suspects reportedly went to the taxi rank and demanded money which was collected earlier that day. Shots were fired and the victim was shot. He was declared dead at the scene and a firearm was found next to his body.”
Netshiunda added that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate was informed for further investigations.
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