Officer shot in left foot after hostage ordeal
CRAIGHALL PARK – A Beagle Watch Armed Response officer was shot in the foot during a shoot-out in Craighall Park on Sunday (August 22).
“I’m sure I just heard gunshots…”.
This was how the social media community of Craighall Park first received news of the shootout at a centre in Craighall Park at about 18:08 on August 22.
The post on the I Love Craighall page drew attention from the community, since someone had witnessed a security officer being transported by an ambulance from the crime scene.
Andre Aiton, managing director of Beagle Armed Watch, confirmed a Beagle Watch Armed Response officer was shot at the centre. “He was shot in the left foot, possibly by a stray bullet, after a shootout ensued when Beagle Watch response officers arrived at the scene of the crime, to confront the suspects.”
He said the officers had responded to a panic button alert from one of the company’s clients, a real estate business at the centre. “On arriving at the premises, they had been confronted by an unknown number of suspects, who had taken the onsite security guard hostage.”
He said the suspects were dressed in security guard apparel. Aiton added that it appeared the prompt response from the officers had prevented suspects from going forward with whatever plans they had devised as ‘security officials’.
He said when Beagle Watch arrived, the men had opened fire on them and this was when the officer had been shot in his left foot, before the suspects fled in a white Toyota Quest.
“The injured officer was taken to the Milpark Hospital by the Netcare ambulance and I will be visiting him later to see that all is well. We will thoroughly investigate everything that happened on the Sunday evening,” he said.
The Gazette is following up on the story with local police.
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