CHICKEN THIEF SHOT, KILED BY THE POLICE

HLATIKHULU – Police officers have shot and killed the suspect who murdered a soldier on Tuesday morning.

The shooting incident happened at a certain homestead situated around Nkowane, an area located not far away from New Warm in Hlatikhulu, where the 53-year-old soldier’s lifeless body was found with a gaping wound to the head.

Sathane Hlophe, who had earlier been linked to an attempted theft of chickens and the eventual killing of the soldier, was running away when he got shot on Tuesday evening.

Compound

Before he met his death, Hlophe had sought refuge in a friend’s house within the compound where detectives were directed to by the local Nkowane Community Policing forum, following a tip-off. Earlier, the suspect had been spotted by a resident entering the particular homestead. The resident immediately alerted the local community police. Moments later, armed police officers, who had earlier stalled their search for the man because of Tuesday afternoon’s thunderstorm, descended on the area once again, leading to the dramatic shooting incident.

The drama began shortly after 6pm when a contingent of about 10 police officers approached the homestead where the suspect was believed to be hiding. It appears the suspect quickly noted the police presence, as he immediately bolted from the house he was occupying and ran towards nearby bushes.
The officers also noted the activity and chased after him. Thereafter, gunshots were heard and moments later the suspect was down and bleeding profusely.  A witness recalled he heard about four shots being fired by the police.

Later on, he said, he saw the suspect bleeding from around the waist area and the legs.
The onlooker said he believes the officers were prompted to open fire repeatedly because the man kept running away.
The suspect was widely believed to be armed with a gun he had illegally obtained when he allegedly disarmed the soldier he had killed during the wee hours of the day.

However, the onlookers revealed that the fleeing suspect had no gun on him when he was fatally shot by the police.
Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed the death of the suspect who was being hunted down by the police.

Vilakati explained that the suspect was running away from the police, who thereafter fired warning shots. “Regretfully, he got shot and his body was taken to a mortuary,” she said.

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