Salt Rock burglar shot and killed in beach gunfight

In the early hours of this morning (Monday) a man thought to be an infamous local housebreaker operating in Salt Rock was killed after a shootout on the beach with IPSS Electronic Security reaction officers.

According to Francois Briel, operations manager at IPSS Electronic Security, a man broke into a home in Hugh Dent street last night, holding up the women who lives there with a shotgun.

“He tied her up so that he could rob the place,” said Briel.

Also read: Ballito housebreaking goes South thanks to Umhlali SAPS task team

Fortunately, the woman was able to free herself enough to push the panic button and make a call to the IPSS control room, saying the man was still on her property.

Reaction officers responded and tracked the man’s movements down in the direction of the beach.

“Together with members of the Salt Rock Neighbourhood Watch (SRNW) and Umhlali SAPS, we sent two teams to the beach – one went down at Barrier Drive and the other at the beach access near Ralph’s Place. The aim was for the two teams to converge from north and south on the beach, leaving him nowhere to hide.”

Briel told the Courier that one of his reaction officers that went down to the beach past Ralph’s Place smelt someone smoking.

“He turned around and shone his torch underneath the wooden stairs that lead down to the beach and saw a man hiding there.”

As soon as he was spotted, the man opened fire at short range with a shotgun, forcing the reaction officers to take cover.

“My guys returned fire and hit the suspect, he later succumbed to his wounds.”

Briel thanked the police, SRNW and all the security agencies who came together to assist.

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