An EMPD officer has been recognised for his brave efforts in recently apprehending four robbery suspects in Brakpan.
Const Eric van Wyk from the EMPD was on Monday awarded a certificate from Brakpan Police Station management in recognition of going above and beyond the call of duty.
The incident for which van Wyk was honoured was featured in last week’s Herald, “Alert EMPD officers arrest four suspects on multiple charges”.
It was reported the suspected robbers attempted to shoot their way to freedom after arousing the suspicion of EMPD officers in Brakpan last Monday afternoon.
They were arrested following a high-speed car chase and shoot-out, during which all four sustained injuries.
Officers from the EMPD Kwa-Thema precinct were on their way to report for afternoon duties at 1pm when they came across a reported stolen vehicle in Brenthurst.
The blue Ford Focus, which was reported stolen in Honeydew in June last year, was suspected of being involved in a spate of house robberies in Ekurhuleni.
The occupants of the Focus sped off when they spotted the EMPD vehicle and later crashed into a stationary vehicle at the corner of Voortrekker Road and End Street in Dalview.
A shoot-out between the suspects and the EMPD officers ensued, during which all four suspects were injured.
Read: Hijackers flee with bakkie after disabling anti-hijack button
During a search of the vehicle, officers found two firearms, the serial numbers of which had been tampered with, along with 20 live rounds of ammunition, television sets, jewellery and other household appliances.
The incident even garnered the attention of EMPD chief of police Jabulani Mapiyeye, who attended the scene.
The injured suspects, two of whom are 36 years old, while the others are 34 and 37, were taken to hospital under police guard, but have since been discharged and taken into custody.
They appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court this week on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as well as attempted murder.
The outcome of the court proceedings was not known at the time of publication.
During the handover of the certificate on Monday, Brakpan SAPS station commander Brig Fredl Jonck thanked van Wyk and praised the officer for his commitment and dedication to his job.
He commented that the Brakpan SAPS is proud of him.
“The action you took on the day not only resulted in a positive outcome for this town, but also surrounding towns as it is believed these suspects could be linked to other cases in neighbouring areas,” said Jonck.
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