Three held in ‘Wild West shoot-out’
One suspect was wounded and two others arrested following an armed robbery in broad daylight in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal.
|||“It was like a cowboy movie. It was crazy,” said shocked Verulam resident, Adhir Samsunder, who witnessed a Wild West shoot-out in Himalaya Drive, which saw one suspect wounded and two others being handcuffed by police following an armed robbery in broad daylight.
Speaking on Friday, Samsunder said he was still shaken after seeing bullets fly across the street on Thursday as the suspects and Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) security officers, who arrived on the scene during the armed robbery, fired at one another.
“We were outside putting up a marquee for a function. As the gate to my neighbour’s house was closing, a car shot up the driveway and then suddenly, the Rusa guys arrived.
“The next thing the fireworks started… People were running in every direction, shots were flying everywhere, everyone was diving for cover.
“It was a dangerous situation,” said Samsunder, who added the suspects’ getaway vehicle was riddled with bullets by the time the dust settled.
“We heard the vehicle had been hijacked, those owners won’t want it back,” he said.
On Friday, South African Police Service spokesman, Major Thulani Zwane, confirmed one of the suspects arrested at the scene is on the police’s “most wanted” list.
The suspect’s name had not yet been released by on Friday afternoon, but Zwane said he “is wanted for hijacking and house robbery”.
Rusa spokesman, Prem Balram said the drama unfolded after they received a distress call from a client whose daughter had seen men with guns enter their home.
With the robbers holding two women hostage in the house, Balram said, “a lady indicated to us through her bedroom window that the robbers were still inside”.
As he moved to the side of the house, one of the suspects opened fire. A second gunman appeared and also opened fire.
“The robbers used their getaway vehicle as cover and continued firing as officers returned fire. The shoot-out lasted for several minutes.”
The robbers fled the scene on foot with officers in hot pursuit. One suspect was found on an adjacent property with bullet wounds to his face and chest.
The police K9 unit tracked two more suspects hidden in the bushes.
The fourth escaped, taking with him R20 000 cash stolen at the scene.
By on Friday morning, Facebook was abuzz with the news and praise poured in from Verulam residents.
Cynthia Naidoo posted, “Well done guys. SAPS cannot do it alone,” and Hassen Ismail put “Well done to Rusa team. Once again the heroes put their lives on the line for the people of Verulam.”
Independent on Saturday