Fake cop shot down

According to Warrant Officer Balan Muthan, head of communications at the Douglasdale Police Station, the robbery occurred on Leslie Avenue in Fourways when a male victim was pulled over by two suspects who were posing as policemen.

Muthan said the suspects were in a private vehicle and were wearing civilian clothing but flashed a police identity card at the victim.

The suspects introduced themselves as police and asked the victim if they could search his vehicle. The victim had valuable items like cash, diamonds and an iPhone as well as a firearm in a bag in the boot of his car. While one suspect retrieved the items from the boot, the other suspect pointed his firearm at the victim. Muthan said the suspects fled the scene with the victim’s belongings, but an alert member of the community who witnessed the crime contacted the Douglasdale police sector vehicle; a lookout was issued to all other police sector vehicles.

The fleeing vehicle was spotted in Douglasdale and a chase ensued through the streets of Douglasdale and Randburg, eventually ending in Cosmo City where the suspects opened fire on the police, with both their own firearm and the victim’s firearm. The police returned fire and the suspect’s vehicle came to a standstill. Muthan said the suspects tried to flee the vehicle but one suspect was shot and fatally wounded by police and the other was arrested. Two firearms and stolen items to the value of R800 000 were recovered from the vehicle. The arrested suspect is now being detained in the cells at Randburg Police Station. “If you are flagged down by any person in a private vehicle, in civilian dress proceed to the nearest police station or public place, like a garage, that is preferably covered by CCTV,” Muthan advised. “Observations should be made of make of vehicle, colour, registration and any other distinguishing markings on the vehicle.”