SWIFT action from combined police stations led to the arrest of three alleged armed robbers, and another shot dead during a shootout with police on Friday 26 September.
According to a Westville Action report that was posted on the Westville Community Policing Forum social page, members of the Sydenham Crime Prevention Unit began chasing a suspicious white Opel Corsa, which had four occupants, from Mountbatten Drive in Reservoir Hills around 11.30am. The chase led to Westville North where shots were exchanged between the occupants of the Corsa and the SAPS.
According to Sgt Stephen Clark of the Westville SAPS, the Corsa stopped at the intersection of Aylesbury and Chearsley Roads in Westville and fired on the police. Then three of the men fled while another was arrested in the vehicle by the Sydenham SAPS.
“Members from Westville SAPS, Pinetown SAPS Rapid Response and Durban South Dog Unit converged on the scene and tracked the three other men in the bush next to the M19.
In the follow-up operation, one man was shot dead, a 9mm CZ pistol was recovered and the two other men were flushed back up into the suburban area and arrested nearby by the Dog Unit,” said Clark.
He added that the vehicle was wanted for armed robbery in Pinetown and had nothing to do with Chearsley Road where they happened to have stopped.
“The three men are expected to appear in court soon facing, among other charges, attempted murder. The firearm will be examined by ballistics to see if it has been used in any other crimes. No members of the community were in danger at any time,” said Clark.
