Officer shot in head at police station
Attack coincides with release of report on cop killings
SECURITY at police stations is once more in the spotlight after a policeman was shot in the head in a brazen attack on the Lingelethu West police station in Khayelitsha. He is in a stable condition. Police said his name was being withheld out of concern for his safety.
The attack happened at the same time that the Institute for Race Relations (IRR) released a report showing showing that the killing of police officers had more than halved over the past 22 years. However, it said that despite this, South Africa remained a “relatively dangerous country in which to conduct police work”.
Police spokesperson Andrè Traut said about the latest incident that a sergeant at the Lingelethu West police station was shot in the face by three men, under the guise of reporting a robbery.
“One of the suspects produced a firearm and shot a police sergeant in his face. Police returned fire and the suspects fled. They are yet to be arrested. The wounded member was admitted to hospital in a stable condition.”
Chairperson of Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) Ndithini Tyhido described the incident as a military-style attack.
“A male came to the CSC at Lingelethu West SAPS pretending to report a robbery case. The next moment, two more suspects entered and they started shooting with long rifles in the CSC. The first person jumped over the counter and one of our members retaliated and shot at the man.
All suspects fled. The member was injured below the left eye and is in a stable condition. It is unknown whether any of the suspects were injured in the shoot-out.”
Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula has condemned the attack and has urged citizens to assist the police in bringing the criminals to book.
Chairperson of Khayelitsha Development Forum Ndithini Tyhido said crime scene investigators were processing the scene and police service might be affected.
He saluted the SAPS for fighting back effectively “as it prevented the assailants from gaining access to more weapons”.
In the last financial year, 57 police officers were killed, 31 of them in the line of duty.
IRR crime analyst Kerwin Lebone said by comparison, countries like the UK reported four murders a year, six in Germany, five in France and 50 in the US, which had population five times bigger than SA.
Now private security was employed at the Lingelethu West police station and officers said this wasn’t necessary.
But Tyhido said his organisation would demand the installation of CCTV cameras in three police precincts in Khayelitsha.
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Khombinkosi Jula vowed that the gunmen would be brought to book and face the consequences.
“Police are there to protect communities. An act of this nature undermines the authority of the state.The motive for the attack at this stage has not yet been established‚“he said.
Anyone with information can contact the SAPS Crime Stop number on 08600 10111.