A 54-year-old suspect is under police guard after he sustained injuries during a shootout with the police. The incident occurred in Kriel on Thursday 13 July 2023 at about 23h55.
Reports indicate that the Police in Kriel were busy with their routine patrols when they spotted a suspicious white Isuzu LDV fitted with the orange light, resembling a construction vehicle but unmarked.
Police ordered the vehicle to stop but the driver instead sped off and ignored police warning.
A chase then ensued and shockingly, shots were reportedly fired from the vehicle being chased by the police.
The men and women in Blue returned fire where the suspects’ vehicle was forced to stop at Thubelihle in Kriel, next to a dumping site.
Thereafter three passengers are said to have alighted from the vehicle and fled to evade arrest, leaving behind the injured man (believed to be the driver) inside the vehicle.
The astute members then apprehended the man.
searching inside the vehicle, Police found about 100 litres of diesel filled in five 20 litre-containers.
The driver could not produce any receipts of the diesel.
A case of attempted murder on the police was opened with another charge of possession of suspected stolen property.
Both vehicles that of the suspects as well as the police car were riddled with bullet holes.
An ambulance was summoned to the scene meanwhile the suspect was transported to hospital and is currently under police guard.
The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has ordered for thorough investigation of this incident. “We are currently having a crisis where trucks are torched. As part of the probe, the investigation team will look at possibilities of whether the suspect is not part of the ones we are in searching for, regarding the burning of trucks” said the General.
The post High speed chase and shootout, 1 suspect wounded, Kriel appeared first on South Africa Today.