THREE men are expected to appear in court today (31 August) after their arrest on Saturday night.
They face charges of attempted murder as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
According to Captain Nqobile Gwala from provincial SAPS, police officers from Durban District were patrolling in Cato Manor at around 7.15pm when they spotted a group of men firing gunshots.
“The officers approached the men, but they ran towards the Cato Crest informal settlement while firing shots at the police officers. A pistol with eight rounds of ammunition was found on the road,” said Gwala.
She said during the exchange of gunfire, a police officer was shot and wounded on his right thigh. He was taken to hospital for medical attention. One of the suspects was found dead in a nearby passage. A pistol was found next to his body.
ALSO READ: Brighton Beach police seek information on rape and assault case
“A further search was conducted at the informal settlement and three suspects were placed under arrest. During the arrest, one of the suspects was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. The suspects will be profiled to check if they are linked to other serious cases reported in Cato Manor and surrounding areas. They are expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court,” she said.
“Criminals should know that police officers will defend themselves when they are under attack. I wish the police officer that sustained injuries while executing duties, a speedy recovery,” said KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Khombinkosi Jula.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za). At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple