Four police officers were admitted to hospital after coming under attack from armed robbers at Junxion Mall on Monday 12 June.
The officers from Nyanga Police Station were reportedly sitting in their vehicle at the mall’s car parking lot when the thugs pounced.
They fired several shots at the officers before fleeing the scene.
Provincial police spokesperson Col Andre Traut said the officers were admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds.
According to Traut, the suspects, believed to be six, were fleeing the scene of an armed robbery when they encountered a marked police vehicle in the parking area.
“In a bid to evade arrest, the suspects fired several shots at the officers, wounding three female constables and narrowly missing the male constable who was the driver. He managed to drive to a nearby hospital with his three wounded colleagues, where two are reportedly in very serious condition. The members are aged between 26 and 32,” said Traut.
They fled the scene in a silver “Opel light-duty vehicle with false registration plates”.
Dumisani Qwebe, secretary of the Nyanga Community Policing Forum (CPF), condemned the attack, labelling it “an attack on government”.
“They were at the mall patrolling as they used to do when the incident happened. We thank God no one died,” said Qwebe.
He stated that they would convene a meeting with all the relevant stakeholders to draft a road map on ways to tackle crime in the vicinity.
Qwebe said the suspects robbed one of the retail shops inside the mall before they attacked the police. He urged the community to work with the officers to restore peace and calm in the area.
Any person who can assist police with information regarding the incident is kindly requested to come forward by contacting Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or by using the mobile application My Saps.
