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Johannesburg – A soon-to-retire Ekurhuleni metro police officer has been shot and killed while helping his neighbours who were under attack in a house robbery in Edleen, Kempton Park, the department said on Sunday.
“An Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department member was… [on Saturday] early afternoon shot dead by house robbers when he responded to a call that his neighbours where being assailed by house robbers,” said departmental spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wilfred Kgasago.
“The deceased officer had only the month of August to work before going on pension. He was 65 years old.”
Kgasago said that the incident happened when the owner of a neighbouring house opened his house gate to go and fetch a grass cutter in a back room for the gardener. Robbers then entered the house and held up the owner’s wife and a domestic worker at gunpoint. They then also forced the husband and gardener into the house.
“The metro police officer, who was off duty at the time, got word of the house robbery and immediately armed himself and approached the neighbours house,” said Kgasago.
“Unfortunately, he was gunned down and his firearm taken.”
The robbers stole various household items and packed them in the owner’s two vehicles. The owner managed to fire shots at them as they tried to leave his yard but they managed to get away.
Truck ambushed
Within a few hours, various police officials and security officers managed to track down six men who are believed to be connected to the robbery, as well as recover a gun and the two cars.
The men will appear shortly in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court where they will face charges of murder, house robbery and the possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Saturday, a police officer was killed during a shoot-out at the Jeppe hostel.
The officer had responded to a robbery of a truck delivering bread to spaza shops, said Lieutenant-Colonel Katlego Mogale. The truck was ambushed at the hostel’s entrance and the driver fled to the Jeppe police station to ask for help.
"[Police officers] ... arrived at the scene and a shoot-out ensued during which the member was injured in the neck. He was rushed to hospital where he was certified dead on arrival," said Mogale.
One robber was also injured during the shoot-out and is in hospital under police guard. However police are still searching for the other three criminals.
