POLICE are on the hunt for an armed gang of robbers, who shot and wounded a policeman during a foiled attempt to rob a bottle store at Five Ways Mall, Empangeni on Saturday night.
Five Ways Superspar manager, Ravin Girumol said it happened quickly. ‘We were standing outside when we saw a guy, carrying a gun, head for Tops at Spar bottle store.
‘We rushed to our store and spotted a cop inside and told him. He called for back-up. When he went to investigate, a robber outside the bottle store shot him.
‘The police arrived soon after and bullets were flying everywhere.’
A Dove Crescent resident, who asked not to be named, said she and her husband heard shots at about 7pm and wondered where they came from.
‘The sound of the gunshots was clear.’ she said.
The injured officer returned fire but the suspects subsequently fled on foot, leaving their getaway vehicle, a Toyota Corolla, in the parking area.
The policeman was rushed to hospital and is in a stable condition. Police combed the area late into the night searching the nearby suburbs for the gang.
No arrests have been made to date.
