Police station hostage taker shot dead

JANE FURSE – An unknown man, who was later fatally shot, held South African Police Service (SAPS) members hostage in Jane Furse, Limpopo on Monday evening.

According to reports the unknown suspect allegedly entered the police station that evening at about 8pm and grabbed a firearm from a thigh holster of one of the police officers who were busy executing Community Service Centre (CSC) duties.

It is alleged that the other members from the CSC unit were able to inform their counterparts about the drama as the unknown man held some hostage and promised to kill them.

Insiders told that a hostage negotiator was brought in together with members from the Tactical Response Team for back up.

The unknown man reportedly refused to surrender himself following requests from the hostage negotiator and the TRT entered the office where the deceased was firing shots from, police members retaliated.

The Watchdog Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is currently investigating the death of the unknown man who was allegedly killed at the hands of SAPS members at the station in Sekhukhune district’s Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality.

In a statement released on Tuesday, IPID said the deceased was unknown and found to be in possession of used nyaope drug sachets and an injection. Police are investigating a case of inquest.

The incident paints Limpopo police stations as becoming soft targets for brazen criminals as less than five months ago, 20 armed criminals robbed SAPS Malamulele within the Vembe’s Collins Chabane municipality of firearms and ammunition and then proceeded to rob a local business of cash.

The SAPS Malamulele gang was arrested after eight weeks following the brazen attack on the police station.