Cop shot in umlazi raid out of hospital

A POLICEMAN who was shot along with a suspect during an early morning raid at an uMlazi house on Friday has been discharged from hospital.

Provincial police spokesman, Colonel Jay Naicker, said yesterday that the shooting took place when officers from the SAPS in St Faiths and the Port Shepstone Public Order Unit were on an intelligence driven operation to arrest three men who had allegedly been terrorising several South Coast communities.

”They were responsible for several incidents of armed rob- bery, attempted murder and rape,” he said.

Their investigations led them to uMlazi’s G-section.

“As police officers approached the suspects’ hideout the men had allegedly opened fire on them,” Naicker said.

“Police then returned fire. During the shoot-out, one police officer and one suspect were wounded.”

Naicker said the other two men escaped.

Police recovered two 9mm pistols at the scene which would be sent for ballistic testing.

“The wounded police officer was taken to hospital while the 34-year-old suspect is under police guard in hospital,” he said.

Naicker said last night that the policeman, who had been shot in the leg, was discharged on Saturday.

The suspect would be charged for attempted murder and possession of unlicensed firearms and was expected to appear in the uMlazi Magistrate’s Court soon, he said.

“He will also be charged for the crimes that he allegedly committed in St Faiths,” Naicker said.

“We are confident that the two outstanding suspects will be arrested soon.”