Hijacker shoots himself
BRAMLEY - An alleged car hijacker shot himself when the police were closing in on him after he hijacked a car in a tyre repairs store in front of the Bramley Police station.
According to police, the suspect hijacked the car and drove it towards oncoming traffic before hitting a taxi.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Moses Maphakela said the suspect got out of the car after the accident and ran away. Maphakela said, “After he was involved in an accident he ran away and the police chased him.”
“The suspect ran towards Arkwright Avenue where he allegedly shot himself when the police were close to catching him. “Maphakela said the suspect shot himself in the throat.”
An eye witness who identified himself as Dennis said the owner of the car had stopped at the tyre repairs shop to change the car tyres. He said the owner was out of the car when the hijacker jumped inside and drove off. Dennis said, “He bumped into a truck first before he drove off and later hit a taxi next to the traffic lights on Louis Botha Avenue. “He got out of the car and started running and I saw police chasing him.”
Maphakela said the suspect was taken to hospital and was under police guard. He added that the suspect shot himself with an unlicensed firearm.
He said, “We are going to investigate whether we can link the suspect with other hijackings in Bramley.”
