A stalling police vehicle has caused the death of a police officer in a road rage incident in Chatsworth, KwaZulu-Natal police said on Thursday.
Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo said Inspector Sithembiso Louis Mkhize (41) was travelling in a police car along Woodhurst Drive when it began stalling on Wednesday night.
The vehicle came to halt on the on-ramp to Higginson Highway and Mkhize got out of the vehicle. Two other vehicles stopped on the on-ramp and five men alighted.
The men started arguing with Mkhize and then allegedly fired shots, wounding him in the head.
Police were alerted about the incident by other motorists. When they arrived on the scene they found that the keys to the police vehicle were missing.
The five suspects were arrested and alleged that they had acted in self-defence because Mkhize had drawn his firearm.
However, Naidoo said there was no firearm found on Mkhize.
Mkhize was a police officer at Maydon Wharf police station and had over 18 years service, said Naidoo. – Sapa