Ipid probes shooting of two cops suspected of KwaZulu-Natal post office robbery

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) launched an investigation into the shooting of two KwaZulu-Natal police officers who were accused of robbing a post office.

“Ipid are currently at the scene. This is a developing story. Nobody is arrested (sic),” said Ipid spokesperson Sontaga Seisa on Thursday.

According to police, the officers – a male sergeant and female constable – were spotted by a team that included the Hawks, National Intervention Unit and others while conducting operations in the area.

At around 2.30am, the team was on the road between Greytown and Dalton when they spotted a police patrol vehicle approaching.

When the team tried to flag them down, the sergeant in the patrol vehicle allegedly opened fire on the team. They returned fire and both officers in the patrol vehicle were killed.

An angle grinder, jackhammer, ink-stained cash and other items were found inside the patrol vehicle.

Police say it is believed that they were stolen from the Dalton post office.

Seisa said Ipid received a report of police action that resulted in death after “two alleged robbers were shot and killed”.

“The information is that National Intervention Unit members were responding to an imminent armed robbery in the area when [the] shooting ensued between the robbers and the police which resulted in the death of two ‘police robbers’.”

The names of the officers have not yet been released, but Seisa said the woman was aged 33 and the man was 40 years old.

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