A CAR chase through Khayelitsha ended with a 24-year-old man innie hospitaal under police guard after he allegedly pointed an imitation firearm at members of the Anti-Hijacking Unit.
On Wednesday 30 September, the cops spotted a charcoal Hyundai with a flagged registration on Lawulo Road and gave chase.
The driver tried to speed away but he was finally gehok on Nothobile Street.
The suspect then got out of the car and pointed what turned out to be an imitation firearm at the police.
Officers opened fire, and he was wounded in the upper body.
He was taken to the nearest hospital, where he remains under police guard.
A 23-year-old woman who was a passenger in the car was also arrested.
According to Western Cape SAPS spokesperson Thembekazi Mpendukana, police arrested the suspects after the chase uncovered the hijacked vehicle and stolen property.
Mpendukana sny die stuk so: “A male suspect came out of the vehicle and pointed an imitation firearm towards the police, and they retaliated, resulting in him sustaining bullet wounds,” Mpendukana.
Mpendukana also confirmed that he was admitted to the nearest hospital for medical care, and he is under police guard.
Both suspects face charges of possession of a hijacked vehicle, possession of stolen property, pointing of a firearm, and reckless and negligent driving.
They are being held at Lingelethu West police station and will appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court once they have been officially charged.
Khayelitsha Safety and Security Forum chairperson Bonga Zamisa told the Daily Voice that concerns have been raised regarding hijackings and vehicle crimes in Khayelitsha, particularly in the Lingelethu precinct.
He said: “At this moment, I cannot verify if the charcoal Hyundai is associated with any earlier theft or hijacking incidents noted in the community. We are waiting for SAPS to provide us with accurate information.”