Police shot and killed a man who had boarded a Golden Arrow bus with two accomplices and robbed passengers. The incident took place on Monday 07 February.

The bus was at the corner of Eisleben and Sheffield Roads in Phillipi East when residents alerted police to the robbery in progress. The spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Grace Langa confirmed that they are investigating the incident. She said: “As the passengers disembarked from the bus, three unknown males entered the bus and one suspect pointed a firearm at the bus driver and the other two suspects robbed the passengers of the cellphones and handbags.” She added that members of the public alerted SAPS members patrolling in the area to the robbery in progress. Langa said: “All three suspects got out of the bus when they saw the SAPS members. One suspect pointed a firearm towards the SAPS members. Police shot at him and he died on the crime scene, the other two suspects got away.”

While some of the passenger’s belongings were recovered, two of the suspects escaped.

IPID is also investigating the actions of the SAPS following the robbery and shooting.

In April 2021, Golden Arrow confirmed that it was installing panic buttons and CCTV camera’s on its buses as a measure to prevent and respond to acts of criminality.