- An off-duty police officer has been shot dead in Durban.
- He was fetching his daughter from school when he spotted a hijacking in progress.
- The hijackers opened fire before fleeing the scene.
An off-duty police officer has been shot dead while attempting to prevent a hijacking in Umbilo, Durban. The shooting took place in front of his daughter's school.
READ | Hawks call for help in finding gunmen who killed off-duty Cape Town cop
On Wednesday at around 14:15, 52-year-old Warrant Officer Michael Jameson was picking up his daughter from school when he noticed a hijacking in progress, said police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe.
"[Jameson] immediately placed himself on duty and responded to the incident. Upon noticing that the member was armed, the suspects opened fire. The member returned fire but sadly succumbed to his injuries on the scene," said Mathe.
The gunmen fled the scene. They crashed and abandoned both the hijacked vehicle and a second car, which had previously been hijacked in Hammarsdale, said Mathe. They are still at large.
National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola said police were working around the clock to apprehend the perpetrators.
Masemola said:
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation has been urged to contact their nearest police station or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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