Suspect shot as pair held over N2 smash and grab

TWO suspected robbers have been arrested after they were linked to a smash and grab on the N2 near Baden Powell Drive.

One of the suspects sustained a gunshot wound after he was shot, allegedly by a bystander who had witnessed the smash and grab.

Safety and security mayco member JP Smith said law enforcement officers rescued two people who were being attacked. He said officers had initially thought the person had been run over and stopped to investigate, but found the man had broken into a car and was wounded by a member of the public.

He was identified by another smash-and-grab complainant who was robbed of her cellphone at the same spot the night before, said Smith. Both suspects were arrested and handed over to the Macassar police station.

“Smash-and-grab crimes continue to be a thorn in our side, so I’m very happy that these two suspects are off the streets. I hope that they are denied bail, otherwise the good work in this case will be undone. We’ve seen far too many incidents where the same suspects are arrested over and over for the same crime because they’re let out on the street again almost as soon as they’ve been arrested,” said Smith.

In a separate incident, Smith said members of the Ghost Squad arrested four armed suspects for allegedly assaulting a pedestrian.

“The Ghost Squad was on patrol in Bothasig when they spotted a pedestrian being attacked by four men.

‘‘The officers chased down the suspects and arrested them for assault and attempted robbery. A search of their vehicle revealed numerous knives and pangas.

‘‘The weapons were confiscated and handed in at Bothasig police station,” he said.

Meanwhile Metro police have arrested 46 suspects, including 26 drunk drivers. One of them was a 34-yearold woman who collided with a law enforcement patrol vehicle in Charlesville in the past week. Smith said officers on patrol along Duinefontein Road arrested a suspect who was seen assaulting a woman and tried to push her into oncoming traffic last week. When officers intervened, the suspect managed to escape and a back-up was called.

“The officers radioed for medical assistance for the victim who had sustained head injuries, while their colleagues successfully chased down the suspect. He was charged with assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm,” said Smith.