An armed robber was shot dead on Tuesday when three men tried to rob a store manager near a shopping complex in Pretoria, police said.
At around 11.30am three men followed a store manager from a bank in East Lynne near his store and attempted to rob him. The three shot at the manager and he fired back with his own pistol, said police spokesperson Constable Brenda Kgafela.
The man, who was wounded in the exchange, shot a robber as the three ran away.
The robber died across the road from where the attempted robbery took place, in front of bewildered shoppers near the East Lynne shopping complex on the Baviaanspoort road, Kgafela said.
”The two remaining men ran to their getaway car, a red Toyota and attempted to drive away. The driver lost control of the car and crashed it metres away from where they had tried to rob the man.”
Police from the dog unit who happened to be nearby chased the injured two as they left the wreckage and tried to run away. They managed to catch one of the men, while the other was caught by members of a private security company.
”The robber unfortunately shot and wounded one of security guards who was apprehending him,” said Kgafela.
Police arrested the two robbers and recovered two unlicensed 9mm pistols.
The two robbers, the store manager and the wounded security guard were taken to a local hospital.
Police have opened a case of attempted murder and armed robbery and the two robbery suspects would appear in court as soon as they were medically fit, Kgafela said. – Sapa