Two Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) Drug Unit officers were injured in a shootout in Pretoria east, TMPD said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said that the officers were observing a brothel in Sunnyside, that is famous for drug dealing, when a car with four men stopped at a building and exchanged goods with another man on Monday.
“On Monday our officers immediately approached the vehicle and upon identifying themselves as police officers, the vehicle sped off they chased it from Sunnyside to Elarduspark in Pretoria East, but 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.
The officers called for backup vehicles and the man was arrested and detained at Garsfontein police station. The man confessed owning the pump gun and a 9mm pistol but denied using it to shoot at the police.
He handed over both firearms to the police and the guns were taken in for ballistic tests. He has been charged for attempted murder.
“Two of our officers have been admitted to a local hospital, one a female officer who is being treated for trauma and the other a male officer who is being treated for wounds sustained during the shooting,” Mahamba said.
“The [car] was eventually discovered at a house in Polaris Street, Waterkloof. Police officers entered the house and found all four occupants (aged between 20 and 30) inside. The house and vehicle were searched and drugs were found. Drugs were also discovered in another vehicle at the house.”
He said the four occupants were arrested and are expected to appear in court soon on charges of possession of drugs, failure to stop when required to do so by police officials and fleeing the incident scene.
A fifth person was also arrested at the house and will be charged for possession of drugs.
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