Tshwane – A Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officer was shot during a car chase in pursuit of alleged drug dealers on Monday.

(Picture: City of Tshwane)

TMPD spokesperson senior superintendent Isaac Mahamba said on Tuesday an officer was shot while staking out a brothel in Sunnyside that “is famous for drug dealing”.

Mahamba said that while officers were observing the brothel they witnessed a Hyundai with four occupants stop at the building and exchange goods with another man.

“Our officers immediately approached the vehicle and upon identifying themselves as police officers, the vehicle sped off.”

Mahamba said officers chased the vehicle from Sunnyside to Elarduspark in Pretoria East.

“When they approached a sharp curve in Pirokseen Street, they were met by a white male aged between 45 and 50 who started shooting at them with a pump gun, hitting one of our officers.”

Mahamba said officers were able to arrest the man.

Drugs found

“It was discovered that he is the uncle of one of the occupants in the vehicle that was chased by the police. He confessed to owning the pump gun.”

Police also found a 9mm pistol on the man. Mahamba said he was arrested and charged for attempted murder.

According to Mahamba, officers then traced the four suspects to a home in Waterkloof where they managed to arrest the men aged between 20 and 30 years old.

“The house and vehicle were searched and drugs were found. Drugs were also discovered in another vehicle at the house.”

The men were charged with possession of drugs, failure to stop for police officers and fleeing “the incident scene”.

Mahamba said the officer who was shot was hospitalised. He added that another officer had to receive trauma counselling.

The incident comes after a TMPD officer, Constable Mmakgabo Aubrey Mojela was robbed of his service pistol and shot and killed in Tembisa over the weekend.

Source: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/tshwane-metro-cop-shot-during-high-speed-chase-20160920-2