An alleged hijacker was shot and killed in Winklespruit and a second gang member was arrested after a shootout with armed response officers on Wednesday night, 29 March.
Blue Security operations manager, Brian Jackson said an armed response officer was responding to an alarm activation in Winifred Drive when the Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) alerted him via radio to a hijacking incident at Winklespruit beach.
WATCH: CCTV footage shows how fast hijackers strike
“Our officer spotted a grey Audi jerking and stopping along the road and immediately reported it on the CCPO radio, as the owner had reported that the vehicle was low on fuel,” he said.
“Our officers mobilised along with the CCPO and followed the vehicle onto the R603, where it had stopped on the side of the road. When they realised they had been cornered, the gang of five men jumped out of the car and ran in different directions into nearby bushes, shooting at the armed response and CCPO officers as they fled the scene. Our officer and a member of the CCPO returned fire in their direction,” he said.
Jackson said Amanzimtoti SAPS and the K9 unit attended the scene of the shooting.
We commend our officer and the CCPO members for their rapid response to the incident and for their bravery in standing their ground in a life-threatening situation.
“Police recovered the dead body of one of the men with a bullet wound to the chest in the bushes. They arrested a second man they found hiding in the bush.
Police took the firearms for ballistic testing.” Jackson said the officers had not sustained any injuries during the shootout.
“We commend our officer and the CCPO members for their rapid response to the incident and for their bravery in standing their ground in a life-threatening situation. We are confident that the teamwork between the CCPO and local security companies in the area is sending a strong message to criminals that their activities will not be tolerated in our neighbourhood,” he said.
