Officers discovered 18 spent cartridges in the vehicle. Picture: City of Cape Town
Cape Town - A high-speed chase involving suspected gunmen and Metro Police officers ended with the arrest of three people near the Jakes Gerwel Bridge at the weekend.
The Metro Police officers conducting a stop and search operation in Tafelsig on Saturday, when they received information about a vehicle involved in a shooting earlier in the day.
Upon spotting the vehicle on Eisleben Road, officers attempted to stop the driver, but he refused and sped off.
The high-speed chase then ensued, during which the occupants fired multiple shots at the officers.
They returned fire and the suspects eventually crashed into a barrier on Duinefontein Road, near the Jakes Gerwel Bridge.
Mayco member for safety and security, JP Smith, said three suspects were apprehended and officers confiscated two pistols - a 9mm Norinco Star with five live rounds of ammunition and a Glock 19.9mm pistol with an extended magazine and six live rounds – with their serial numbers intact.
In addition, officers also discovered 18 spent cartridges in the vehicle.
Two of the suspects sustained head injuries in the collision and received medical attention on the scene.
They will be charged with reckless and negligent driving, firing a weapon in a municipal area, attempted murder, the possession of an illegal firearm and the possession of ammunition.
All three, aged between 30 and 35, were detained at the Mitchells Plain SAPS.
"The question remains where criminals are getting a seemingly endless supply of guns and bullets from and why firearms convictions are so low in South Africa. It is these two factors that are enabling the continued shooting and deaths of innocent residents,” said Smith.
Metro Police Officers arrested a total of 59 people over the past week and confiscated a number of drugs, weapons and ammunition.
The Public Emergency Communication Centre recorded 1 599 calls over the weekend, of which just less than a third (520) were medical complaints.
The centre also recorded 81 assault cases, 51 domestic violence complaints and 51 motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents.
In total, 277 public transport vehicles were impounded and 1 622 warrants of arrest were executed.
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