Durban - Two Westville policemen who were captured on cellphone footage taking on a gang of armed robbers at a Post Office last month have been given special bravery awards.
Warrant Officer Robin Holmes and Warrant Officer Visser from Westville Police Station were honoured with a special award for bravery at the KwaZulu-Natal provincial SAPS awards, held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre on Wednesday night.
Holmes who has been a police officer for 29 years said the shoot-out on November 28 was all in a days work.
Speaking to television news station, eNCA, Holmes said that he has been faced with similar scenarios throughout his career and had to rely on "muscle memory" and his training.
He said that they were alerted to the robbery at the local Post Office by a member of the public who saw the robbery and drove to the police station nearby and alerted them.
He said that when they left the police station, they had no idea how many robbers were there or what level of force they would face.
Not shown in the footage was his colleague who had come under fire and who he said, after engaging with the robbers had run out of ammunition.
"I came in from a different angle and engaged the suspects. We both engaged the suspects from different angles," he said.
During the shoot out one of the robbers was shot and killed. His accomplices managed to flee.
The alleged robbers entered the parking lot and tried to rob the Post Office along Jan Hofmeyer Road.
The cellphone footage shows Holmes firing off several rounds at the gang before he comes under fire and is forced to take cover.
In the intense gunfire, a police vehicle was left riddled with bullets.