Police are questioning three suspects following the shoot-out between police and an unknown number of suspects in High and Thomas Streets in Benoni on Friday morning.
Two police officers (29 and 35) were shot and wounded and have been taken to the hospital in a stable condition. Three unlicensed assault rifles were seized at the scene.
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• Two SAPS members wounded in shoot-out on High Road
In the meantime, Benoni City Times reported a metro policeman and ex-SAPS officer had been arrested in connection with the crime.
Police on routine patrol from Crystal Park followed a truck alleged to have been stolen in Mpumalanga. Two vehicles, a VW Golf 7 and a Mercedes Benz, were also seen and suspected to be escorting the truck.
While police were summoning for a back-up, they were shot at by the occupants of a Mercedes Benz. They also returned fire. An unknown number of suspects jumped out of the Mercedes Benz and fled the scene on foot as it drove away from the scene. Two police officers were wounded, one on the leg and the other on the shoulder. They were both taken to the hospital in a stable condition.
As police were conducting investigations at the scene, three rifles were found abandoned in different places. One was found inside a dustbin, another close to the wall of a plot- possibly dropped when a suspect was jumping the wall – and the third one slightly buried on the ground inside a nearby plot.
Three people who were found in the area and suspected to have been involved in the shooting were taken in for questioning.
A truck alleged to have been hijacked by suspects posing as metro police officers was later found abandoned in Kempton Park with its load.
A manhunt for the suspects has been launched. Police are also appealing to anyone who might have witnessed the incident and knows the whereabouts of the suspects to contact Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or the nearest police station at all hours.
Information: Official SAPS Facebook page
