Hard-working Tshwane metro cop found dead in his flat

The Tshwane metro police are down by another member after a constable, known for his hard work, was found dead in his flat, laying in a pool of blood at the weekend.

The 29-year-old Constable Thinus Swart who lived in Hercules, west of Pretoria, had not reported for duty on Saturday morning, prompting his colleagues to continuously try to contact him.

“His colleagues made numerous phone calls trying to get hold of him, but to no avail. One colleague who stays in the same complex with him decided to go check up on him and that is when he made the gruesome discovery,” TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said.

Swart’s lifeless body was found around 11am in a pool of blood with his service pistol lying next to him.

He had a bullet wound to his body, but Mahamba could not yet confirm where in the body the officer was wounded.

The possibility of a suicide could not be ruled out, Mahamba said.

“An inquest docket has been opened by the South African Police Service for further investigation. The constable was known as a hard worker who was passionate about his work. He was stationed at a drug unit under the crime prevention section at the time of his death.”

This was the second death of a TMPD member this week, following the recent killing of an officer who walked into an armed robbery in Centurion.

The officer was off-duty last week when he happened to pass by a food outlet in Lyttelton where an armed robbery was in progress.

The officer was shot dead as he entered the outlet.

The robbers took his service firearm before fleeing, allegedly with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Mahamba said the TMPD was still in “disbelief” by the recent deaths.

“His [Swart’s] death comes on a day when the department was burying another constable who was killed during a business robbery. TMPD would like to send deeply felt condolences to his family, colleagues and friends.”

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