Pretoria – The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) on Wednesday said a suspected armed robber, who was part of a group terrorising people in the Johannesburg CBD, was shot dead during a confrontation with police.
“Last night JMPD undercover officers received a complaint from a CCTV operator about a group of males who were spotted terrorising members of the public and robbing them with a firearm at the Noord and Wanderers taxi rank vicinity in the Johannesburg CBD,” JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said.
Officers intercepted the group at the Wanderers taxi rank.
“The suspects immediately fled, but one of the suspects ran towards an officer brandishing a firearm and pointing it at the officer,” Fihla said.
“Officers responded swiftly and shot the suspect in the upper body, sustaining fatal injuries. City of Johannesburg's emergency medical services were called and the suspect was declared dead on the scene.”
One unlicensed firearm and two cellphones were recovered.
In July, the South African Police Service in Johannesburg central arrested three suspects for being in possession of unlicensed firearms.
Spokesperson Captain Xoli Mbele said two of the three, aged between 30 and 34, were arrested at the Wanderers taxi rank while the third was apprehended at the Park Station bus terminal.
“Police were busy with their routine crime-prevention duties at a taxi rank when they searched passengers inside a taxi travelling to Harding in KwaZulu-Natal. Two passengers were found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
"Another passenger was also found with an unlicensed firearm on a bus bound for Cape Town.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were once arrested for crimes ranging from attempted murder and possession of unlicensed firearms,” Mbele said.
ANA