Gunmen Shoot JMPD Officer, Steal Patrol Vehicle in Vlakfontein

A Johannesburg Metro Police Department officer was fatally shot while responding to a robbery in Vlakfontein on Wednesday. The suspects are still at large.

The officer, 33-year-old Matome Mokoena from Region G Operations, had been on patrol with two colleagues when they responded to a report of an armed robbery. The team had received a description of the suspect vehicle — a white Volkswagen Polo — and located it shortly after.

JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said the officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which had five occupants. While the suspects initially failed to comply, they were eventually brought to a halt.

“As Officer Mokoena approached the driver’s side, gunfire erupted from inside the car,” said Fihla.

The officers took cover, but the suspects chased Mokoena to a nearby home and shot him dead. They then stole his service firearm and the marked patrol vehicle, which was later disabled remotely and recovered abandoned in Lehae.

Fihla added that police also received reports of a second fatal shooting nearby involving a civilian. Investigators believe the same suspects could be linked to both incidents.

Mokoena’s death has sparked outrage and sorrow across the metro police department and broader community.

“This is a dark day for the JMPD and the entire city,” said Chief of Police Commissioner Patrick Jaca. “We will not rest until the suspects are brought to justice.”

Fihla described Mokoena as a committed officer whose death was a major loss to the department. “Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends, and fellow officers,” he said.

The JMPD condemned the attack as a “senseless act of violence” and confirmed that a full-scale investigation is under way, in collaboration with SAPS.

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Sourced:IOL

Picture: Simphiwe Mbokazi / Independent Newspapers