[Image: Werner Vermaak / Wikimedia Commons]
What started as a routine drive home turned into a bloody nightmare in the early hours of last Saturday, when a police constable allegedly lost the plot, shooting his colleague and two civilians, killing one, before turning the gun on himself in Machunwini, Harry Gwala district.
According to KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda, three tactical response cops — supposedly trained for high-stress situations — were heading from the Eastern Cape back to the Free State. Somewhere along the way, they apparently missed a detour sign at roadworks and slammed into some barricades. Not exactly a graceful exit.
Cue two good Samaritans who came running to help, calling ambulances and a tow truck. You’d think that’d be the end of it. But no.
Then came the twist no one saw coming. Netshiunda said the constable got out and shot the tow truck driver.
“When his colleague intervened, the constable reportedly shot him and another community member. The constable then reportedly turned the gun on himself.”
That’s right, he gunned down the tow truck driver, shot his own teammate, injured a civilian, and then took his own life. Whatever snapped in that moment, it was lethal.
The constable and the tow truck driver died on the scene. The sergeant and the wounded community member were rushed to the hospital, while the third officer walked away shaken but alive.
As for motive? No one’s got a clue. Cops are now investigating everything from murder and attempted murder to an inquest and even reckless and negligent driving.
What was meant to be a detour turned into a tragedy, and no one’s sure why.
[Source: SowetanLive]
