A husband turned his gun on himself after firing at police, this after he allegedly abducted his wife.
The couple fought previously about rent payments as they were going through a divorce, that evening the wife was woken up by the husband who had a firearm in his hand.
This was on Monday morning at about 01:00. The husband was reported to have woken up his wife and bound her hands using masking tape, she said in her statement that he was acting very aggressively.
The wife managed to call her sister to come pick up the children, when she arrived the husband said he wanted the car keys. The sister’s son intervened and an argument broke out, amidst the chaos the husband allegedly fired off the gun in the son’s direction, missing him.
The son then handed the car keys to the husband who then took his wife forcefully and pushed her into the car, they then drove out on the Bethal Road (R544) and then turned off onto the R575 toward Witbank Dam.
He allegedly said he would kill her.
Witbank Police received a domestic violence complaint from the sister and rushed to Uthingo Park where the incident had taken place.
On their arrival they met with the wife’s cousin who explained the situation and that the husband had fired off his firearm and then took the wife.
Police headed in the last known direction that the couple were headed and came across the Mazda 2 in the area of Vandyksdrift and approached the husband who had his wife at gunpoint.
Police were able to talk the husband into releasing his wife, she was taken into safety, they requested that he hand over the firearm but he refused and drove away.
The police escorted the wife back to their home in Uthingo where police retrieved evidence related to the shot that was fired. They then opened a case of domestic violence.
That same morning shortly after the incident the wife approached police fearing for her safety as she was allegedly told by her husband that he would kill her if she went to police and opened any cases against him.
Police headed out to where the husband’s home was in Klarinet.
As they approached the suspects house they called out to him asking him to surrender himself and the firearm, they made the request three times before the husband opened fire on the police.
One of the police officers, Const DJ Pretorius returned fire, firing off two rounds at the suspect.
Both rounds hit the suspect. He suffered ballistic injury to his left arm and left leg. The suspect then turned the firearm on himself in an attempt to commit suicide, he fired the gun from under his chin but the attempt failed.
He was taken into custody and transported to Witbank General Hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment for his three gunshot wounds.
Three cases have since been opened against the man, two of attempted murder and one of abduction.
“People that are in a relationship and experiencing domestic violence related problems are requested to make use of the domestic violence act 116/1998 – which protects victims in a domestic relationships against abuse whether it be emotional, verbal or physical. The Witbank Police will assist victims at Witbank Police Station and Witbank Magistrates Court,” said Capt Eddie Hall.
He further cautions firearm owners in a domestic relationship to be responsible with their firearms as they may be declared unfit to possess their firearms should they use them to threaten or kill unlawfully.
The wife was contacted for comment but refused to comment,
“Yoh, I can not comment,” she said.
ALSO READ:
Suspect allegedly shot two officials and one police officer (update)
Man shot in foot, police officer’s gun used
