Two men were remanded in custody after being denied bail by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court on charges of armed robbery, vehicle hijacking and the attempted murder of policemen.
They will reappear in court after further investigation has been concluded.
The court heard that at about 7.30pm on 3 August, the two suspects, with a third accomplice who is still at large, allegedly hijacked a Toyota Corolla in Hillbrow.
It is said they accosted the owner of the vehicle, but before they pushed him out and sped off in the car, the owner pressed the vehicle’s panic button which alerted police to the incident.
An hour later, police in Alexandra found the hijacked car parked on the corner of 4th and Sam Buti avenues.
Police parked their squad car at a distance and, with their firearms drawn, one of the officers approached the hijacked car from the front and another from the rear. On seeing the officer approaching from the front, one of the vehicle’s occupants also came out with a gun drawn. Realising the danger, the officer at the back shot the accused in the buttocks, pelvis and ankle. The officer from the front shot at the other accused still in the vehicle, injuring him in the thigh. A third accomplice was said to have escaped.
The injured suspects were treated at a hospital under police guard and appeared in court when their health had improved.
One of the suspects was found to have been on parole for murder and possession of an illegal firearm. The car was returned to its owner.
