An off-duty Tactical Response Team policeman has been killed after he was found allegedly stealing bricks from a construction site in Khayelitsha.
Harare police were on patrol in the area on Monday morning when they came across a light delivery vehicle loading bricks at a construction site.
“As they approached the vehicle, four suspects fled. Police managed to arrest two suspects, assisted by security guards who were on site. As they were loading the arrested suspects into the police van, police came under fire. They returned fire,” said police spokesperson Novela Potelwa .
The gunman was hit and transported to hospital where he died.
It later emerged that he was an off-duty police official attached to the Khayelitsha tactical response team.
Police reportedly found a generator stolen in a business robbery in the area at the police official’s home.
It was also discovered that the firearm used by the deceased to fire shots at the police was a service pistol registered in his name.
The shooting has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.