The South African Police Service (SAPS) is actively investigating an attempted murder case involving a police officer after a shooting incident linked to a cash-in-transit suspect.
According to official police information, as verified by Newcastle SAPS spokesperson Lizzy Arumugam, the incident occurred on the evening of Thursday, 3 July 2025, at approximately 21:25 at the intersection of the N11 and Albert Wessels Drive.
That evening, a sergeant from the Empangeni Tactical Response Team, currently deployed to the Vala Umgodi operation in the Amajuba District, received intelligence about a blue Audi travelling along the N11 towards Newcastle. The information indicated that the vehicle’s occupants were armed and had attempted a cash-in-transit robbery, having fled from Tugela Ferry after a shootout with police.
As confirmed by Arumugam, the sergeant, accompanied by a fellow sergeant, proceeded in their state vehicle to the Engen Garage on the N11 to intercept the suspects.
At 21:25, the officers spotted the Audi, bearing the reported registration number, passing their location. The sergeants activated their blue lights and siren to signal the vehicle to stop, but the suspects refused to comply.
As a result, a second police vehicle, carrying two additional officers, joined the pursuit.
As the chase progressed, the situation escalated at the traffic lights on Albert Wessels Drive, where the occupants of the Audi opened fire on the pursuing officers. The officers returned fire, and the Audi’s driver subsequently lost control of the vehicle on Magnolia Drive in Arbor Park.
The driver got out of the vehicle still shooting towards the SAPS members, jumping a fence, before running away and disappearing into the dark, as verified by Arumugam. One of the suspects was apprehended at the scene, while the driver escaped.
Thankfully, as per Arumugam, no officers sustained injuries during the incident.
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Furthermore, the bravery of the officers involved underscores the perilous nature of their duties, particularly in confronting armed criminals engaged in high-stakes crimes like cash-in-transit robberies. In additon, the SAPS continues to call on the public for assistance in providing information to aid in capturing the fugitive, reinforcing their commitment to upholding law and order.
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The crime in this country is out of hand