Cops say they will not tolerate any more shootings of their members as a third officer was shot in one week.
Constable Ashley Baumann was shot and wounded in Kensington in the early hours on Monday.
His shooting comes just days after top detective Sibusiso Nonjezi was shot and hijacked in Nyanga, and last Wednesday, Sergeant Adrian Mahoney, 44, was shot and killed in Mamre while responding to a domestic dispute.
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut says detectives are in hot pursuit of a third suspect for the shooting of the 34-year-old officer on Monday.
“(On Monday morning) at around 12:30am two police constables attached to Kensington police station approached three individuals under suspicious circumstances on the corners of Lugmag Avenue and Drommedaris Road in Factreton for the purpose of questioning when one fled on foot.
“This suspect then fired shots in the direction of the police officers and wounded a 34-year-old constable. He was admitted to a local hospital in a serious condition.
“Two suspects aged 21 and 26 are detained for further questioning while the third one is yet to be arrested. The circumstances are still under investigation and court proceedings are yet to be scheduled.”
According to Traut provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile has activated all available resources to track down the suspect responsible for pulling the trigger so that he can answer in a court of law.
“He also wished the injured constable a speedy recovery. SAPS will not tolerate shooting of their members. And we will use all our resources to track down the perpetrators, like we did with the shooting of our Atlantis officer and the same stance will be followed with others.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za