Durban - KwaZulu-Natal police are hunting for a group of thugs who held up a tuckshop and shot a security guard dead during a daring raid on Friday morning.
The Reaction Unit SA security officer was standing guard at a tuckshop in in the Zwelisha area, north of Durban, when he came under “rapid gunfire” from the gang.
He was shot multiple times on the head and body and his 9mm handgun was taken, Prem Balram, the director of Reaction Unit SA (Rusa) said.
He said that Rusa received the initial call from the Dev Security Control Center seeking assistance after receiving information of an officer under attack.
“Reaction officers and paramedics converged on the area and the Rusa operations centre received several calls from residents in the area reporting a shooting in progress,” Balram said.
“The scene was located minutes later on the corner of Ugagane Close and Unganu Circle where the body of the 41 year old Reaction Officer was found with multiple gunshot wounds to his body and head. His 9mm handgun was taken. His bullet proof vest was also penetrated by 9mm rounds. Several spent 9mm cartridges were found on scene,” he said.
According to the tuckshop owner, the reaction officer was attacked by three armed men who opened rapid fire on him.
“The officer was standing off to provide protection to the shop owners who were frequently robbed on Fridays during stock delivery. A white Izuzu bakkie that was delivering goods to the store was also shot (at). An undisclosed amount of cash was also stolen from the tuck shop,” Balram said.
Balram said that this was the second reaction officer shot dead this week. Earlier this week another reaction officer was killed after attending a call out on the KZN South Coast.
Both reaction officers were from Phoenix.
IOL