ONE suspect was critically injured after being shot in the head during a shoot-out with traffic police on the R21 near Olifantsfontein on Tuesday morning.
His three accomplices were arrested.
At about 9am members of the Highway Patrol Unit of the Gauteng Traffic police apprehended a white Toyota Kombi with four suspects inside near the Olifantsfontein off-ramp.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson, Lieutenant Kay Makhubela, the suspects immediately opened fire on the traffic officers after their vehicle had been pulled over.
“One suspect was critically injured and was taken to hospital under police surveillance.”
A suspect who attempted to flee the scene was later found hiding in a tree in an open veld across from the freeway. He was spotted by the flying squad.
“Two unlicensed R5 rifles were found in the suspects’ possession. Their vehicle had a fake metro police marking on the back window.”
On arrival at the scene, EXPRESS found two of the suspects captured, sitting on the ground next to the kombi, with the rifles closeby. The fleeing suspect had already been loaded into one of the police vehicles.
All four suspects are from Soweto and the taxi owner’s address was invalid.
Two cases, one of possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, have been opened with Olifantsfontein SAPS.
The matter will be further investigated to see if the suspects could be linked to other crimes.
