An alleged hijacker was wounded and another arrested following a shootout between Kempton Park SAPS members and the culprits in Kempton Park central business district this afternoon (Wednesday).
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According to Kempton Park SAPS spokesperson Capt Jethro Mtshali, crime prevention members caught sight of what looked like a hijacking on the corner of Long and Casuarina streets.
“As they approached, it is alleged one of the suspects pointed a firearm at the police,” Mtshali told Express. “The police fired a shot at the suspect, wounding him in the upper body.”
Mtshali said when officers approached the injured suspect, a second suspect ran away to a block of flats. An anonymous source and resident in the area identified the flats as Duniek-hof. Here the man, who was carrying a 9mm pistol, was arrested by police.
At around 3:15 pm, the scene of the crime was cordoned off. Inside, the injured suspect was being treated in an ER24 ambulance. Barely a meter away stood the alleged hijacked car, a dark BMW. Next to it lay clothes and a pool of blood, dripping into the gutter.
More than 100 residents, including children as young as six years old, surrounded the scene. Some even peaked over nearby walls out of curiosity.
One woman, who sells sweets in Long Street, told Express she heard the gunshot. “I heard the bang and got scared but I didn’t know what was going on.”
Mtshali said preliminary investigations revealed the hijack victim was followed by the suspects from a bank, after withdrawing a large sum of money.
“We want to make a special appeal to the community to be careful when withdrawing a large amount of money,” he said.
The injured suspect was taken to Tembisa Hospital.
