Arrests are expected in a case in which police investigating a shooting and robbery at a Midrand home were themselves hijacked.
The saga began on Friday night when Sarah and Charles Meyer were shot and wounded in a robbery at their son-in-law’s home in Midrand. Nothing was stolen in the robbery.
Police investigating the robbery were themselves hijacked and their service pistols and unmarked car stolen when they called at the house on Monday.
On Wednesday, North Rand police spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman said the police car was recovered shortly after the incident, but the stolen firearms are still missing.
He also responded to criticism in news reports that it took more than an hour for police to arrived after the initial robbery, but only six minutes for 10 to 15 cars when the police vehicle was hijacked.
”Every situation is completely different to the other. Different circumstances might prevail with deployment,” said Opperman.
”The police station might have been five minutes away from the scene, but a police station cannot be left alone either.”
Opperman said that between the two incidents police had intensified their operations, so it was ”obvious” that there had been a better response.
Home owner James Dyer witnessed the hijacking on Monday of a car driven by four plainclothes policemen.
He was quoted in The Star as saying: ”Something happens, people get shot and the cops take more than an hour to get here from a police station that is about 5km away.
”Then, when the cops get hijacked in your driveway, it takes precisely six minutes for 10 to 15 police cars to respond.”
Meanwhile, Charles Meyer, Dyer’s father-in-law, will reportedly need further surgery before he is able to walk again properly.
The report said he was in a satisfactory condition at Sunninghill hospital.
His wife has been treated and discharged. — Sapa