Durban - One suspect is expected to appear before the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday after he was arrested following a vehicle theft and shootout in the Effingham Heights area, north of Durban.
One of his accomplices was shot dead and the rest fled the scene.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala said: “Charges of an inquest, possession of a stolen vehicle, pointing of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition are being investigated by Greenwood Park SAPS.”
Gwala said that it was alleged that at 6.15pm, police officers were driving along Effingham Road when they were alerted to suspects being chased by tracking officials.
She said that upon arrival at the scene, a bakkie was found and it had collided with another vehicle.
“A 40-year-old male was found with a gunshot wound in the abdomen. He was certified dead at the scene,” Gwala said.
“The suspect’s vehicle was searched and a firearm, 10 rounds of ammunition and cellphones were found.
“The investigation conducted at the scene revealed that the vehicle was stolen in Durban Central on May 12,” Gwala said.
She said a 22-year-old suspect was placed under arrest. He will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Marshall Security managing director Tyron Powell said that one suspect was shot dead and another arrested after a high-speed chase and a shootout with a tracking ground team in the process of recovering a vehicle the suspects had allegedly stolen.
Powell said that the incident took place at about 3pm on Friday when the Marshall Security Emergency Dispatch Centre received multiple calls from members of the public reporting a shooting incident on Effingham Road in the Effingham Heights area.
Multiple armed response officers and Special Operations Team members were dispatched and arrived on the scene within minutes.
“On scene, it was established that a Ford Ranger that had been stolen last week was being chased by the Discovery Insurance Tracking Ground Team.
“During the chase, the suspects driving the stolen vehicle opened fire on the Discovery Tracking Ground Team and the members returned fire.
“The suspects then had a head-on collision with a motorist. Following the crash, an unknown number of suspects alighted from the stolen vehicle and fled the scene.
“One suspect was shot dead on the scene and another was immediately arrested, while the remaining suspects fled on foot. An unlicensed firearm was also found on the scene,” Powell explained.
He said that the injured motorist was transported to the hospital by a private ambulance service after sustaining severe injuries.
The scene was secured, processed and would be investigated further by Greenwood Park SAPS, he said.
Daily News