Two suspects killed, two arrested for allegedly killing Soweto cop

Two wanted suspects were fatally wounded and two others arrested during a shootout with the police in Emndeni, Soweto, on Monday night.

The four were wanted for allegedly killing a Soweto police officer during a house robbery in Braamfischerville, Soweto, on Sunday night.

Constable Mokgophe Rankoe, 36, and a colleague, who were both stationed at Dobsonville police station, had responded to a house robbery complaint in Braamfischerville when they came under fire.

The two officers were robbed of their firearms and cellphones.

Rankoe was shot in the head and was rushed to hospital, where he died a short while later.

A suspect was later arrested and the police recovered a 9mm firearm on the scene, which reportedly belonged to the shooters.

On Tuesday, Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Mathapelo Peters said following Rankoe’s murder, a multi-disciplinary team was set up to trace his assailants.

The team was eventually led to a house in Emdeni.

“A shootout ensued between the suspects and police, resulting in the death of two suspects and arrest of two others, as well as the recovery of two firearms, one of which has since been confirmed as being stolen from the police officer during the shooting on Sunday,” said Peters.

Two police officers were also wounded during the shootout, one on his finger and the other on his cheek.

Gauteng provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela commended the team for tracing those believed to be responsible.

“What has stood out during this multi-disciplinary operations is the integration of resources of law enforcement agencies in the province, which is what we advocate as a winning formula for the effective reduction of crime.

“On behalf of the management of the South African Police Service in Gauteng, I wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the SAPS teams, Gauteng traffic police and Johannesburg Metro Police Department for their part in the swift response and successful tracing operation.

“We can only hope that this will bring some kind of closure to the family of the deceased member; while we wish the three injured members a speedy recovery,” said Mawela.

Gauteng Community Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko condemned Rankoe’s killing.

“A clear message must be sent that an attack on a police officer is an attack on the state and the state will defend itself.

“We are calling on members of the community to assist the police with information that will lead to the arrest of the second perpetrator. Importantly, we are also pleading with members of the community to come forward, work closely with the police to assist the state in putting together a solid case and verify if the suspects are not linked to other criminal activities,” said Mazibuko.

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