A manhunt was under way in Cape Town on Thursday after a metro policeman was shot.
The perpetrator “emptied his clip” on the officer‚ a Constable Zegers‚ just after 9am after he responded to a shooting incident in Hanover Park.
The officer was struck in the stomach and in the hand but he still returned fire and even filled out paperwork‚ said City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith.
Police spokesman FC Van Wyk said members of the metro police were called to a shooting in Athwood Road.
“Upon their arrival they spotted a male person who‚ when he saw them‚ started shooting at them. Members returned fire‚” said Van Wyk.
“In the shootout a 40-year-old male metro police constable was shot and wounded in his abdomen and left hand as well as a 41-year-old male metro police sergeant who sustained a slight injury to his left hand.”
Said Smith: “They emptied an entire clip on him. They were busy shooting and the officers were just responding. They would have shot whoever was sitting in the car.”
Metro police chief Wayne le Roux said Zegers was in a stable condition in hospital. Metro police officers were working with the South African Police Service to track down the gunman.
“We take this in a very serious light because the members were patrolling and doing their job and then they came under attack‚” he said.
Smith said shootings in Hanover Park were a “daily occurrence”.
“Our staff are continuously racing towards shooting incidents. By the time they get there it's long over and the shooters have disappeared and nobody says anything‚” said Smith.
“In this case they were close by and the shooter was still at it; he turned on them and he discharged the remainder of the rounds into the vehicle.”
Smith said a “massive manhunt” was under way. “There is a rule that if you cannot protect the police then you cannot protect the public‚ so there is a principle that you have to throw maximum resources at these individuals and you have to hunt them down with prejudice‚” said Smith.
“We do not have a single metro police officer that has been killed or injured in the past five or six years that we have not found the shooter and held them accountable.
“To do that is to prevent people from pulling the trigger at a metro police officer. In this way metro police can still be effective in stopping violence.
“If your officers arrive at the scene and gangsters know it's open season on them‚ they are never going to be able to effectively do their work.”
Metro cop shot twice in Cape Flats gunfight
A manhunt was under way in Cape Town on Thursday after a metro policeman was shot.
The perpetrator “emptied his clip” on the officer‚ a Constable Zegers‚ just after 9am after he responded to a shooting incident in Hanover Park.
The officer was struck in the stomach and in the hand but he still returned fire and even filled out paperwork‚ said City of Cape Town mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith.
Police spokesman FC Van Wyk said members of the metro police were called to a shooting in Athwood Road.
“Upon their arrival they spotted a male person who‚ when he saw them‚ started shooting at them. Members returned fire‚” said Van Wyk.
“In the shootout a 40-year-old male metro police constable was shot and wounded in his abdomen and left hand as well as a 41-year-old male metro police sergeant who sustained a slight injury to his left hand.”
Said Smith: “They emptied an entire clip on him. They were busy shooting and the officers were just responding. They would have shot whoever was sitting in the car.”
Metro police chief Wayne le Roux said Zegers was in a stable condition in hospital. Metro police officers were working with the South African Police Service to track down the gunman.
“We take this in a very serious light because the members were patrolling and doing their job and then they came under attack‚” he said.
Smith said shootings in Hanover Park were a “daily occurrence”.
“Our staff are continuously racing towards shooting incidents. By the time they get there it's long over and the shooters have disappeared and nobody says anything‚” said Smith.
“In this case they were close by and the shooter was still at it; he turned on them and he discharged the remainder of the rounds into the vehicle.”
Smith said a “massive manhunt” was under way. “There is a rule that if you cannot protect the police then you cannot protect the public‚ so there is a principle that you have to throw maximum resources at these individuals and you have to hunt them down with prejudice‚” said Smith.
“We do not have a single metro police officer that has been killed or injured in the past five or six years that we have not found the shooter and held them accountable.
“To do that is to prevent people from pulling the trigger at a metro police officer. In this way metro police can still be effective in stopping violence.
“If your officers arrive at the scene and gangsters know it's open season on them‚ they are never going to be able to effectively do their work.”
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