Fearless cop corners killers
Jun 17, 2011 | Zwanga Mukhuthu | 11 comments
AFTER hearing shots fired at a nearby tavern yesterday morning, a police constable quietly got up, put on his bullet-proof vest, and went after seven killers.
The 30-year-old constable from Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, refused to tell his wife where he was going, knowing she would not let him leave the house.
"I think he knew that if he told me what was going on outside, I wouldn't have allowed him to go - so he just kept silent and went out," said the 26-year-old woman who asked not to be named, fearing that the criminals might come back and attack them.
She and her husband, who was recently transferred from the Douglasdale police station, lived in the house with their 5-year-old son.
The constable apparently woke up after hearing the shots at the tavern, about 800m away from his house.
Tavern owner, 50-year-old Vincent Nkosi, said seven robbers attacked them at about 11.45pm, randomly shooting even before they entered the building.
One of the patrons, Tebogo Bermeni, said he was drinking with seven other men when they heard people shooting.
"One of the customers ran to the door to block it and prevent them from entering," said Bermeni.
"I quickly ran to the door to help him."
While holding the door closed, the gunmen shouted at the patrons to open the door, but they refused. The robbers kicked the door, then started shooting.
"I got shot in the bum," said Bermeni.
"The bullet went through (me) and hit (the other man holding the door) in the hip."
The two men fell to the ground, and five robbers entered, ordering everybody to lie down.
After shooting dead a patron who had been holding the door, the robbers then shot and killed a barman.
The robbers fled with money from the tavern's takings and customers.
After driving around, the off-duty constable cornered the seven robbers in Extension Seven, several kilometres from the crime scene.
Diepsloot police spokesperson Warrant Officer Daniel Mavimbela said the officer noticed a group of men, and accelerated towards them and they "split up and ran".
"One man produced a handgun. The constable shot the suspect in the upper body. The suspect collapsed and died," he said.
The others escaped.
A police 9mm pistol and two cellphones were recovered.
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011/06/17/fearless-cop-corners-killers
