On Saturday, 16 May 2026 at 23:45, members of Operation Lockdown III were conducting stop-and-search operations on Myrtle Road in Bishop Lavis when a black VW Polo Playa was approached by the officers. The vehicle sped off, and its occupants opened fire on the police.
Officers returned fire, leading to a high-speed chase that ended in Civic Way, Matroosfontein, Elsies River, where the suspects were apprehended.
Authorities recovered a 9mm Glock firearm loaded with four rounds of ammunition, as well as eleven spent cartridges from the suspects’ possession. The VW Polo and the firearm were confiscated and booked in at Bishop Lavis SAPS. The firearm will be sent for forensic analysis.
Three male occupants of the vehicle, aged 34, 36, and 42, will appear in the Bishop Lavis Magistrates’ Court on charges of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition once formally charged.
No injuries were sustained by the SAPS members.
