LIMPOPO – The provincial police commissioner, Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe, has expressed deep concern following an incident in which a police sergeant (53) from Riba Cross took his own life after being cornered by officers along the R555 near Burgersfort on Sunday (October 12)

Preliminary reports indicate that the deceased, who was attached to the Presidential Protection Service (PPS) in Pretoria, was wanted in connection with two violent incidents that occurred in Gauteng over the weekend.

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According to the Limpopo police, the sergeant allegedly shot and killed a female colleague, also a police sergeant, in Pretoria on Saturday (October 11).

The following morning, he allegedly shot and wounded his wife in Bronkhorstspruit before fleeing the scene.

The Limpopo police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said police acted on intelligence and tracked and intercepted the white Nissan vehicle he was driving.

The suspect allegedly fired a shot towards officers and, when surrounded, turned the firearm on himself.

“The weapon used was later confirmed to be a state-issued service pistol,” his statement read.

Domestic-related crimes involving law enforcement officers

Hadebe condemned the incident, describing it as a tragic example of the growing number of domestic-related crimes involving law enforcement officers.

Her comments come just two months after a similar domestic-related incident in the Mopani District.

In August, two police sergeants died in a suspected domestic violence incident at Nkuna Kraal Mall in Nkuzana village.

The female victim, a sergeant stationed at the Beit Bridge Port of Entry, was with two adults and her six-year-old child when her estranged husband, also a sergeant attached to the Thohoyandou K9 Unit, approached her.

The couple had reportedly been separated for about seven months.

At the time, Ledwaba said an argument broke out, during which the husband shot the woman in the upper body with his service firearm.

When he attempted to flee, community members who witnessed the incident chased and assaulted him before setting him alight next to his vehicle. Both the female sergeant and her husband died at the scene.

Read more: Deadly domestic dispute: 2 SAPS members killed at Limpopo mall

“These tragedies once again highlight the urgent need for members to seek help when facing personal difficulties. We remain committed to supporting the well-being of our members while upholding the rule of law,” she said.

Ledwaba said an inquest case has been opened and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been informed to conduct a full investigation.