Two men were shot dead and two arrested after an off-duty community police officer was killed in Khayelitsha on Tuesday, Cape Town police said on Wednesday.
Captain Eugene Sitzer said the officer and two passengers were driving in Landsdowne road when three men opened fire on the vehicle at 4.50pm.
The police officer was shot twice in the chest and robbed of his personal firearm and motor vehicle. The robbers pulled him out of the car and he died on the scene. The passengers were thrown out of the vehicle and were not injured.
Sitzer said detectives and members of the surrounding police stations were alerted and immediately started searching for the vehicle and attackers.
The car was spotted by the police in Kraaifontein around 9pm. They called for back up and attempted to pull the car off the road. The attackers started shooting at the police who returned fire. The vehicle then left road off Okavango drive in Brackenfell.
During the shoot-out, two of the men were killed and two were arrested while a fifth person is still missing. Sitzer said police seized the police officer’s car and confiscated three firearms, of which one belonged to the policeman.
Eastern Metropole acting commissioner Assistant Commissioner Ganief Daniels thanked the policemen involved in the arrests and warned criminals not to consider attacking any police officers. – Sapa