Law Enforcement officers reportedly prevented two people from being hijacked in Nyanga on Sunday.  The officers, who were on patrol in the area, allegedly tried to stop a bronze Toyota Avanza (fronting as an Amaphela), when the driver refused to stop.

Three occupants proceeded to jump out of the vehicle and opened fire on the Law Enforcement vehicle. One of the officers in the vehicle was shot and wounded during the shootout, but it later emerged that the bullet lodged in his belt.

Following the shootout, the suspects fled the scene on foot, and officers discovered that the two remaining occupants in the vehicle were being hijacked. No arrests have been made yet. The City has since appealed to anyone with information on the whereabouts of the suspects, to come forward. Information can be relayed anonymously, via the City’s 24-hour tip-off line, on 0800 110077.

“One of our officers sustained an injury when the suspected hijackers opened fire on staff members, and we wish him a speedy recovery. I also want to commend the officers for their situational awareness. Apart from the vehicle that they recovered, they also saved two hijacking victims from an uncertain fate,” said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith.

“With SAPS Forensics taking over the crime scene, the vehicle was processed for fingerprints as charges of Hijacking, Kidnapping and Attempted Murder have been registered.”

The Law Enforcement officers have since returned to work and have been instructed to attend compulsory counselling.

General City Law Enforcement Operations

During the past week, the Law Enforcement Department apprehended 254 suspects and issued 5,072 notices for various by-law transgressions.

During this period, officers seized four firearms and recovered a minimum of three stolen vehicles, bringing the total for the last two weeks to nine firearms, two improvised firearms, and four stolen vehicles.

Metro Police personnel made 75 arrests, which included six for driving under the influence, and administered 1,470 fines for assorted traffic and regulatory violations.

The City’s Traffic Service detained 71 drivers over the week, with 57 for driving while intoxicated, five for reckless and negligent driving, and nine for other offences.

Furthermore, officers executed 1,426 arrest warrants, impounded 142 vehicles, and documented 64,210 infractions.

Over the past five weeks, the number of drunk driving arrests has shown an upward trajectory, rising from 24 in mid-February to 43 last week, and now standing at 57.

In terms of public emergency responses, the Communication Centre experienced a relatively quieter weekend, recording 1,712 incidents compared to 1,938 the previous weekend.

Among the logged calls were 658 requests for medical aid, 106 reports of assault, 34 instances of domestic violence, and 37 road accidents.

READ MORE: CT woman’s lucky escape after ‘express kidnapping’