Police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating the death of an unknown male, after he allegedly disarmed a police officer and held law enforcement officers hostage inside a police station in Limpopo.
“Ipid is investigating a death of a suspect at allegedly at the hands of the police at the Jane Furse police station. It is alleged that the deceased entered the Jane Furse police station on (Monday) 28 March 2022 at about 8pm. He grabbed the firearm arm from the thigh holster of one of the police officers who was busy executing his Community Service Centre duties,” said Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping.
“He (the deceased man) held police members hostage and promised to kill them. The other members from the Community Service Centre unit were able to inform their counterparts about the hostage drama.”
Suping said a hostage negotiator was brought in, with members from the South African Police Service’s Tactical Response Team for backup.
“The deceased refused to surrender himself following requests from the hostage negotiator. The Tactical Response Team team entered the office where the deceased was firing shots, and police members retaliated,” Suping said.
“The deceased is unknown and was also found to be in possession of used Nyaope sachets and an injection. An inquest case was opened.”
In November last year, police officers at the Malamulele police station in Limpopo were bundled into a van while the station was robbed of rifles, pistols and ammunition.
Ten people linked to the robbery at Malamulele police station and spate of automated teller machine (ATM) bombings in Limpopo were arrested in January.
Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said the men were arrested following an intensive investigation.
“Seven of the suspects were found in their hideout at Medinyeng Village near Kgapane under the Bolobedu policing area outside Tzaneen, Mopani District and the other three were arrested at a lodge in the Dwarsloop area outside Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga province. This after information was received about these suspects intending to commit an ATM bombing in Mpumalanga province."
Mojapelo said preliminary police investigations had positively linked the men with several ATM bombings and armed robberies in Limpopo, including a recent incident at a filling station near the Capricorn tollgate along the N1 North, where a police warrant officer was shot and wounded in the process.
“They were also positively linked with the incident where a police sergeant attached to Botlokwa police station was robbed of his service pistol, R5 rifle and bulletproof vest,” he said.
IOL