Durban — An off-duty police officer had to fire a single shot into a man’s thigh after the man was caught robbing the officer’s home and becoming violent when confronted.
Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) spokesperson Prem Balram said that a 29-year-old burglar was shot after he attacked an off-duty policeman in Hazelmere on Monday morning.
Balram said that Rusa received a call for medical assistance from the Verulam police at approximately 8am.
He said that on arrival, it was established that the injured male was a burglary suspect. The homeowner is a policeman based in the Eastern Cape. Neighbours informed him that suspects had broken into his residence and were removing household items throughout the weekend.
“The SAPS official returned to his residence this morning and discovered the front door broken. He entered the house and interrupted the suspect who was in the process of gathering valuables. The intruder grabbed a hammer and attempted to attack the homeowner when he shot him in the thigh. The suspect immediately surrendered,” Balram said.
“The victim was not injured,” he added.
Police spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Nqobile Gwala added that it is alleged that the suspect was caught in the act of removing cables inside the house. The man became violent when he was questioned, and attempted to assault the complainant with a hammer. The complainant managed to escape, withdrew his firearm and shot the suspect in the thigh.
“The suspect was taken to hospital under police guard where he was treated and released. He was due to appear before the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (today),”
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