Police officer killed while tracing rape suspect in Pretoria

News24
12 Jul 2019, 04:11 GMT+10

A task team has been set up to find the suspects responsible for the murder of a police officer who was gunned down in Shoshanguve, Pretoria, on Monday night.

The officer was tracing rape suspects.

According to the police, Constable Ruben Dumisani Tshabalala, a Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences investigator, was on duty searching for rape suspects in Extension 6 in Shoshanguve when he was shot at around 20:30.

"When the police arrived at the scene, they found Tshabalala with a gunshot wound to his upper body as well as another man with a gunshot wound to his chin," national police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement on Thursday.

"The police officer was taken to hospital where he later succumbed to his wound. The other wounded man is currently in hospital under police guard until we can verify exactly what role he played in the incident."

While it is unknown who shot Tshabalala, the police believed the rape suspect he was looking for might be the perpetrator.

National police commissioner General Khehla Sitole said he was appalled and shocked to learn about the killing of Tshabalala.

"I have tasked that a multidisciplinary team search for the suspect and ensure that justice prevails", Sitole added.

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