Blue Security’s Highway tactical ambassador shot an alleged car thief during a high speed car chase along the M13 near Westville on 4 September 2019.
The chase, which ensued after Highway area neighbourhood watch groups circulated a description of the vehicle on their security groups, led to the arrest of three suspects, one of them shot in the buttocks, and the recovery of the suspects’ vehicle at a Westville shopping centre.
Blue Security tactical ambassador Russel Lawson said he and his partner Sbu Mchunu had responded to an incident at a business premises in Gillitts where a suspect had been seen attempting to steal a vehicle this morning. The four suspects arrived at the premises in a champagne gold Nissan Almera just before noon.
Jill Clark, chairwoman of the Gillitts Park Neighbourhood Watch group, who happened to be working in one of the offices on the premises, said an alert staff member happened to notice a suspect behaving suspiciously in the parking lot. “When the suspect realised that people on the premises had noticed him he quietly got back into the vehicle he had arrived in, reversed, and drove off,” Clark said.
“Upon investigation it was found that the suspect had managed to open the bonnet of one of the vehicles parked on the premises and cut the wire to the hooter in an attempt to silence the alarm.” Clark said a staff member took down the registration plate of the suspects’ vehicle and she immediately contacted the Gillitts Park Neighbourhood Watch team, which then circulated the description to neighbourhood watch and security groups.
Lawson went in search of the vehicle in the area surrounding of the business premises but it was only when he was later driving Westwards along the M13 that he happened to spot the wanted vehicle driving Eastwards along the M13. “I immediately gave chase and caught up with them under the St Johns Bridge in Pinetown, following them past the M13, N3 split. As I drove near to their vehicle and flashed at them to pull over, one of the suspects pulled out a firearm and I responded by firing two shots at the vehicle. One of the shots hit the bumper and entered through the seat, injuring a suspect in his buttocks,” Lawson said.
“The chase ensued and they then took the Roger Sishi turn off and went into Westville central past Westville Girls’ High School. They then drove along St James Road, jumping red robots,” he said. Lawson said he somehow lost the suspects in Westville. “What had happened is the suspects had turned into a local shopping centre where they drove counterflow through the security boom gates, hitting into another vehicle. The suspects were about to walk into the shopping centre in an attempt to hide by blending in with shoppers when security guards at the centre swooped on them and arrested three suspects. One suspect managed to flee the scene and remains at large,” Lawson said. Westville SAPS attended the scene of the crime.
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