Pretoria man discharged from hospital after shot by robbers in car chase
A Wonderboompoort resident, who was shot in the arm after he chased men who robbed a shop in Rietfontein, Pretoria last week, is recovering well.
James Coetzee (54) underwent surgery to remove the bullet and was discharged from the hospital the following day.
The incident happened when three armed men robbed the Vodacom Chatz in Gezina last week Tuesday at around 11:00 in the morning.
The men fled the scene and multiple shots were fired at the victim’s car in Johan Heyns Drive.
“It was a crazy experience,” Coetzee told Rekord.
“It is by God’s grace that I am alive.”
Coetzee said the men fired seven shots at his vehicle, one of which went through the vehicle’s window screen and hit his left arm.
“Adrenaline, however, kicked in and I only realised I was wounded when the car’s engine cut out,” he said.
Coetzee had just left the post office around the corner from the shop, when he heard people screaming.
“I saw the men running out of the shop and getting into a Chevrolet Aveo in which they drove off.
“I jumped into my vehicle and chased them for almost six blocks.
“The rear passenger pulled out a pistol and fired seven gunshots,” he said.
Coetzee, who did military service for two years, said that “second nature” kicked in.
“I tried to push them off the road and that is when they opened fire.
“I alerted police and security services, but unfortunately they managed to get away,” he said.
“It was not a like a movie scene at all. The robbers did not speed at all and drove as they normally would. Will I chase after armed men again? Most definitely.”
Coetzee is a pastor at Bomb Shelter Pretoria Bikers Church.
Brandon Fourie, manager of Vodacom Chatz Gezina, said three men entered the shop and “took everything they could lay their hands on”.
“They then drove off with all our stock. Luckily, no one got hurt during the incident,” said Fourie.
The value of the stolen items is at this stage unknown.
Moot police station spokesperson Captain Anton Breedt said they are following up on all the leads regarding the case.
“Attempted murder and business robbery cases have been opened,” he said.
No arrests have been made.
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