Johannesburg - A North West traffic official escaped death when a motorist tried to shoot him but the firearm jammed.
However, the motorist was not as lucky – the officer’s colleague pulled out his own firearm and shot the man, wounding him. He tried to flee but fell and was arrested.
The 47-year-old man was changed with attempted murder, pointing of a firearm and the illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.
Captain Aafje Botma, of the North West police, said officers were on the R565 road in Boshoek outside Phokeng on Friday when they stopped a Toyota Corolla whose driver had failed to obey a stop sign.
The driver pulled over to the side of the road, got out of the car, approached the traffic officers and apologised.
Botma said the other traffic officer went to the vehicle where three other occupants were seated.
“He then spotted a firearm in the vehicle and went back to alert his colleague.
“The suspect, who apparently overheard the conversation, pulled a pistol from his waist and attempted to shoot the traffic officers,but the firearm jammed.
“Upon noticing what was happening, the traffic officer's colleague allegedly fired a shot, hitting the suspect in the upper body.
“Consequently, the wounded suspect and his three passengers ran away in different directions. However, the wounded suspect fell on the ground a few metres away from the scene. He was arrested after police were summoned.
“The injured suspect was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. Upon processing the scene, the police found and confiscated three pistols, a shotgun and live ammunition. Meanwhile, a manhunt has been launched for the remaining three suspects. The arrested suspect is expected to appear in court soon,” Botma said.
The acting District Commissioner of Bojanala Platinum Sub-District 2, Brigadier Joel Pheto, commended traffic officers for their vigilance which led to the arrest of the suspect and seizure of the firearms and ammunition.
IOL