"The guy is a criminal. He committed murder." This was the response of Patrick Moetlo upon seeing Constable Ronnie Masie's name on an official list of policemen killed this year. "As a police officer he was supposed to uphold the law," said Moetlo. Instead, Masie had killed Major Thomas Moetlo, Patrick Moetlo's brotherPolice last week spoke out about aspate of police killings and sparked a national outcry at 55 police officers having been killed since January.story_article_left1But Masie was shot dead by his own colleagues two months ago after he went on the rampage at Alexandra police station in Johannesburg, killing four people, including Patrick's brother.Masie first killed his girlfriend, Sowela Nkula, who was at the station to open a case of domestic violence against him.He then turned the gun on her uncle, who had accompanied her, and on a neighbour. He then shot Major Moetlo, who was taking down Nkula's statement.Last week, national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega insisted her men and women in blue were being killed by criminals while executing their duties. She also said they were being targeted for their firearms.However, police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale this week confirmed that only four out of the 55 officers killed this year had their firearms taken.In addition, four female officers on the list were actually killed by their partners, while Masie and one other were killed by colleagues.Independent police researcher David Bruce said it was "ridiculous" to have Masie's name on the list of fallen cops.Patrick Moetlo said whenever his family heard of another police killing it brought back memories of their ordeal.He said the South African Police Service had been very helpful in providing counselling, although that was not enough.Makgale said the employee, health and wellness section of the SAPS and the Widows and Orphans Fund took care of all families affected by the loss of a family member who served in the police.story_article_right2Lizette Lancaster, the project manager for the Institute of Security Studies' crime and justice information and analysis hub, said the fact that four of the five female police officers on the list were killed in incidents of domestic violence showed that it affected everyone. "It just shows you how serious it is." Cops, she said, were part of the community. "Just like ordinary citizens are robbed and killed, so are they."The policewomen killed at their homes by their husbands or boyfriends - all of whom then committed suicide - were:Constable Lillian Galodikwe, 30, from Severn police station in the Northern Cape, shot by her husband, Constable Neo Patrick Galodikwe, 31, in May;Constable Audrey Karele, 31, shot by her boyfriend, Constable Johannes Matladi, 37, in June;Constable Lindiwe Mina Luvuno, 42, shot by her boyfriend, Musa Sithole, in March; andConstable Penelope Buyisiwe Hlomuka, 31, of Woodford, Bergville, in KwaZulu-Natal, was packing her bags to leave her boyfriend when he grabbed her service pistol and shot and killed her, and then himself...