Cops hunt wounded ‘poacher’
Man escaped while under police guard in hospital
POLICE have launched a manhunt for a wounded suspected Rhino poacher, who escaped while under police guard despite being shackled to a bed at Frere Hospital in East London yesterday.
He used a hacksaw to break free.
The 35-year-old man was shot in the leg and arm during a heavy exchange of gunfire inside the 23ha Double Drift Game Reserve near Grahamstown.
A heavy calibre hunting rifle was recovered from the suspect. The suspect was shot last week and taken to Victoria Hospital in Alice after sustaining a broken leg and a bullet wound to the upper body.
Eastern Cape provincial police spokesman Captain Khaya Tonjeni said it was not clear how the suspect, who was shackled to his bed with leg irons broke loose and disappeared without a trace.
“Police are busy with efforts of tracking the suspect and re-arresting him,” he said.
“Members of the public are warned to alert the nearest police whenever they see the suspect in their vicinity,” Tonjeni said.
Tonjeni said an internal investigation has been launched against the policeman who was on duty at the time.
“Circumstances around this escape form part of an investigation and disciplinary steps will be taken if it is discovered that the member who was on guard during the escape, had acted negligently.”
A source said the suspect was with another assailant when he was nabbed last week. “He refused to drop his rifle and warning shots were fired by the game rangers but the man threatened to shoot them.
“The game rangers were left with no choice but to shoot him in the leg and upper body. A second suspect is still at large.”
Provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo declined to comment.
“This is a police matter so speak to the police.”
In a similar incident in December last year, a robbery suspect wounded in a shootout and admitted to the same hospital was shot dead in his hospital bed, while also under police guard. Two suspects disarmed a security guard and police guard before firing shots at the patient.
The incident sparked tensions between the department of correctional services and the department of health. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za