'Shooters' injured, arrested after high-speed car chase in Cape Town

Cape Town law enforcement officers arrested 347 suspects over the weekend, including three involved in a shooting incident after a high-speed chase and crash in Mitchells Plain.

Metro police were doing a stop-and-search operation in Tafelsig on Saturday when they spotted a vehicle involved in a shooting earlier that day.

“A high-speed chase 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,” said safety and security MMC JP Smith.

“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. Officers also discovered 18 spent cartridges in the vehicle.”

Two of the suspects sustained head injuries in the crash and received medical treatment on the scene. The suspects, aged 30 to 35, face charges of reckless and negligent driving, firing a weapon in a municipal area, attempted murder, possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Metro police officers confiscated drugs, weapons and ammunition, while the city's public emergency communication centre recorded 1,599 calls — of which 520 were medical complaints.

“The centre also recorded 81 assault cases, 51 domestic violence complaints and 51 motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents,” said Smith. 

“Cape Town traffic services held integrated roadblocks, vehicle checkpoints and speed control operations and recorded a total of 31,664 speeding offences and issued 29,096 fines for various traffic violations. Law enforcement officers made 240 arrests for a number of transgressions, including the possession of drugs, ammunition and dangerous weapons.”

Smith said the city had made 1,670 arrests linked to illegal firearms “that we are tracking, yet we see the same people back on the street, having served no meaningful time in prison. We call on the national minister of police to urgently intervene and initiate an investigation around the influx of ammunition to gangs and vulnerable communities.” 

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