A suspect was injured in a shootout with police on Monday morning on the N3 at the Market Road offramp in Pietermaritzburg. According to Mi7, emergencies medical services were dispatched after reports of an active shooting just before 8am.
Mi7 medics arrived to find that a shootout had occurred between Pietermaritzburg police and suspects they were pursuing. One suspect was injured during the shootout, sustaining bullet wounds. “He was treated by Mi7 medics before being taken to hospital under police guard,” said Mi7.
Mi7 added that a second suspect was also arrested and no civilians were injured in the shooting. Workers at a nearby road construction site reported that security officers fired at the vehicle after the driver attempted to evade them.
The suspect’s vehicle, which was travelling towards Durban, was cornered on the Market Road offramp. A security vehicle was already on the scene awaiting the suspect, while police were pursuing the suspects from behind.
As the driver attempted to change lanes to evade confrontation with the security, he failed because the lanes were narrowed due to construction, ultimately bringing the suspect’s car to a standstill.
“That’s when the guns were drawn with warnings for the occupants to get out of the car. Gunshots rang out, and only the passenger managed to step out with his hands raised in surrender. The driver was taken to hospital,” reported employees from the construction site who wished to remain anonymous.
The suspect’s vehicle had two visible bullet holes in the windshield, showcasing the intensity of the encounter.
Fortunately, no civilians were harmed during the incident, and the police were able to manage the situation with minimal disruption to the surrounding area.
