Officers gunned down
Speaking on behalf of the Edenvale SAPS, acting spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts said the station was shocked to learn of the loss of two dedicated police officers.
Messages of condolences poured in on Monday for the families of two police officers shot and killed on the N3 South on Sunday afternoon.
At the time of going to print, the Gauteng SAPS could not release the names of the Sandringham SAPS officers killed.
“We are still in the process of notifying all the family members of the two officers,” said the Gauteng SAPS spokesperson, Colonel Noxolo Kweza.
Speaking on behalf of the Edenvale SAPS, the acting spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts said the station was shocked to learn of the loss of two dedicated police officers.
“We at the Edenvale SAPS would like send our sincere condolences to the family of the two officers killed, as well as to all the members at our sister station in Sandringham.
“Losing fellow police officers in the line of duty is never an easy thing,” said Lt Col Roberts.
The Bedfordview and Edenvale communities took to social media to express their shock and sadness.
“This breaks my heart. We all moan about the corrupt cops and here are a handful of dedicated policemen protecting us and we lose them in the line of duty,” Sherry Landman commented on the NEWS’ Facebook page.
Cayley Buyskes commented, “It is not right. Those poor policemen and their families.”
Two police officers died and one was critically injured during a shoot-out with suspects on the N3 South highway at the Modderfontein Road off-ramp.
Reports suggest that over 100 shots were fired when suspects and SAPS members exchanged fire.
Emer-G-Med paramedics arrived on-scene and found three police officers, as well as a suspect, had been shot and wounded.
One of the police officers was shot in the head and declared dead at the scene.
The officer who is currently in a critical condition sustained two gunshot wounds to his abdomen and further gunshot wounds to his pelvis, both femurs and his arm.
He was treated on-scene before his transportation was handed over to another emergency service. The third police officer shot sustained gunshot wounds to both femurs and pelvis.
When his condition deteriorated, he was immediately airlifted from the scene by an SAPS helicopter and transported to the Sunninghill Hospital, where he later died as a result of his injuries.
One suspect was shot in the head. The suspect was intubated and transported, under police guard, to a government hospital by provincial emergency services.
A second suspect was arrested at the scene.
Two firearms, believed to have been used in the shooting, were also recovered.
It is believed the suspects hijacked a vehicle and when police officers tried to apprehend them, the suspects opened fire.
On Monday morning, a police officer from the Kempton Park SAPS was also shot in the line of duty.
According to reports, police officers approached a vehicle parked at the side of the road.
The driver of the truck was alone in the cab.
Officers ordered the man to exit his vehicle and open the back of the truck.
When the driver opened the back of the truck, six men armed with AK-47 rifles and pistols opened fire on the officers.
One police officer was shot.
The suspects then jumped into the police vehicle and drove to Pomona Road where they hijacked another vehicle and abandoned the police vehicle.
The police officer who was shot was transported to a nearby hospital in a stable condition.
