Greytown police commander killed in shootout after robbery

A Greytown police station commander was killed and a sergeant wounded in a shootout on November 12, after officers pursued suspects who had fled a business robbery in KwaZulu-Natal, police said. Two suspects were fatally wounded and a third was injured and arrested, while police launched a manhunt for those who escaped.

The commander was leading officers and private security personnel in pursuit of the suspects, who had left the robbery scene in a Toyota Quantum minibus, according to police accounts. The pursuit ended on the R33 road towards Msinga, where a shootout took place and the commander was declared dead at the scene.

Police said the robbery occurred at a business in Greytown. The shop owner was shot and injured, and employees were assaulted. The sergeant was shot in the arm and taken to hospital. The wounded suspect who was arrested was also taken to hospital, under police guard.

Police said officers recovered three firearms after the shootout: two rifles and a handgun. The remaining suspects fled into a mountainous area, prompting the search. KwaZulu-Natal acting provincial commissioner Major General Phumelele Makoba said police had assembled a team to lead the manhunt...