Johannesburg – The M1 North highway is closed to traffic between Booysens Road and the Crown interchange following a shootout between JMPD police officers and suspects on Thursday afternoon.
At least one suspect was shot dead by police officers.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said: “From the preliminary information received, officers from the JMPD stopped a suspicious-looking white Iveco motor vehicle with plus/minus 20 occupants.
“The occupants shot at the officers and the officers returned fire.”
One male suspect from the Iveco has been declared dead after sustaining fatal gunshot wounds and the rest of the suspects fled the scene during the shootout with police.
Police have also recovered two illegal firearms from the scene, which were used by the suspects.
The police suspected that the suspects had either just committed, or were about to commit, a robbery before being intercepted by the officers.
“The relevant stakeholders have been contacted to process the scene and traffic on the M1 North is heavy. Road users are urged to be patient and avoid the route and to use Booysens Road or Xavier Street as alternative route,” said Fihla.
The JMPD have also alerted other law enforcements to assist them in finding these suspects and they urge members of the public to notify the JMPD or SAPS police should they have any information on the suspects.
This is a developing story.
IOL