So says Mr Eugene (Pottie) Potgieter, the CEO of Gladiator Community Protection. One of this company’s security officers was seriously wounded in a shootout during an armed rob- bery in Carletonville this week.
According to the police, filling station attendants at the Engen filling station at Slabbert Motors in Station Street were busy with routine tasks when a white minibus taxi pulled into the forecourt at approximately 22:45 on Sunday.
At least eight Tswana-speaking men jumped out. All of them were armed, some with automatic assault rifles. Luckily, one of the attendants managed to press the panic button before the attackers started threatening them.
The robbers were still busy with the attendants when the Gladiator officer, Mr Andries Horn, arrived at the site with his response vehicle and literally drove into the robbery in progress.
Chaos erupted as the robbers started shooting at the security vehicle.
“Although Andries had stopped at a safe distance to first check what was going on, the robbers had stopped their vehicle at the fuel pumps, which made it not look like a robbery at first,” says Potgieter.
Horn managed to jump out of his vehicle while the robbers were firing at him.
According to Potgieter, this most probably saved his life as five bullets had been fired into his driver’s seat.
“He is a star. It was probably his compulsory Defence Force training that helped him survive,” Potgieter says.
The robbers, realising that backup would probably arrive soon, immediately jumped back into their taxi and raced away. Another three Gladiator vehicles and the police arrived at the scene shortly afterwards.
Horn, who had been hit in the stomach, was evacuated to the hospital. By Tuesday, he was still in a serious condition in Fountain Private Hospital. Luckily, doctors were able to extract the bullet from his body. Various cartridges, including some fired by high-calibre assault rifles, which should only be in the police or military’s possession, were found at the scene. Anyone who may have information that could assist in the investigation should contact WO Jacques Nagel at 082 880 4611.
If Mr Andries Horn had not jumped out of the response car in time more bullets would have hit him. Photos: Supplied.
