Police are on a manhunt following the shooting of a Randburg police officer and security guard in Ferndale on 14 October. The officer was shot in the back of the neck while responding to an attempted cash-in-transit heist at Randburg Square (see previous article).
A media statement issued by the provincial police office later in the day said that at around 7am, SBV Services guards were dropping money off at the mall when they were “attacked by an unknown number of suspects” who took a rifle and pistol from them. The guards were able to run back to their vehicle with the money. “The suspects started shooting randomly and the security guard was shot and injured on the lower body,” the media statement said.
“They then fled the scene with a [Volkswagen] Polo and a white bakkie. On their way they saw the police vehicle and they started shooting at it.” This was on the corner of Harley Street and Oak Avenue. Colette Monk, an eye-witness, was in a taxi behind the van. She explained that after a rapid succession of shots, the police van stopped and the officer stumbled out of the vehicle. “He was shot in the back of the neck and blood was pouring down his back,” she said. “His sister was also in the van and the broken glass cut her neck but it was not that bad.”
Monk assisted the officer until paramedics arrived 10 minutes later. She said that nearby hawkers just stood and watched the officer bleed, refusing to help. The officer was airlifted to Milpark Hospital in a police helicopter accompanied by an Emer-G-Med paramedic. Emer-G-Med spokesperson Danielle Dooley said that the officer was in a stable condition and “it is believed that he will make a full recovery”.
A bystander, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that there were nine or ten suspects carrying two AK47 rifles and a number of handguns. “They were well disguised,” he said. “They were dressed like labourers. You would never have suspected them.” The media statment concluded that “Randburg police is investigating attempted murder and attempted cash in transit.” Randburg police spokesperson Warrant Officer Johannes Maja said that no arrests have been made yet.
Details: Randburg police 011 449 9000.
