Police officer killed in Khayelitsha during stop-and-search operation

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A 30-year-old police officer has been gunned down in Khayelitsha on Cape Flats. Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa says officers were conducting a stop-and-search operation last night when they came under fire from an armed suspect.

“A manhunt has been launched for a suspect who shot and killed a 30-year-old police constable on Wednesday evening. The deceased was part of a crime prevention operation that was conducted by Khayelitsha Police in Q-Block at approximately 21:30 in the evening,” she says.

According to Potelwa, during that operation, a crime prevention unit member came under fire from a gunman.

The police say the identity of the deceased Constable will be released once his next-of-kin has been informed.

Western Cape provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile has assured that no resources will be spared in getting to the perpetrator of the act.

“It is disheartening that police officials who are deployed to bring safety to communities, find themselves being targeted by criminals. Our reinforced deployments are hard at work in efforts to apprehend the suspect,“ says Lt-General Patekile.