A 21-year-old man is expected to appear in court on Tuesday after his arrest in Nelson Mandela Bay at the weekend on an attempted murder charge.
Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said the suspect was arrested by members of the Motherwell Cluster Trio Task Team at about 1am in Joe Slovo on Saturday.
“According to reports, the complainant was walking near the Bayland bus depot at about 10pm on Easter Friday when he noticed three males, two of whom are known to him, allegedly robbing people in the area,” Janse van Rensburg said.
“One of the suspects approached the complainant, pointed a firearm at him, and instructed him to come closer. When the complainant hesitated, the suspects allegedly threatened to shoot him.
“The complainant attempted to flee, at which point shots were fired. He sustained gunshot wounds to his back, shoulder and face.
“Despite his injuries, he managed to defend himself by stabbing one of the suspects before escaping.”
Janse van Rensburg said the suspects subsequently fled the scene in a navy Chevrolet vehicle.
The victim reported the incident at the KwaDwesi Community Service Centre and was given medical treatment for his injuries.
“Following the incident, members of the Motherwell Cluster Trio Task Team conducted thorough investigations, including interviews with various persons of interest. This led to the gathering of positive information, which was operationalised.
“At about 1am on Saturday, the team traced the suspect to Joe Slovo, where he was arrested.
“At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. The firearm, identified as a Norinco Star pistol with an empty magazine and a filed-off serial number, was confiscated for further investigation.”
She said further investigations were under way to determine possible links between the suspect and other murder and house robbery cases within the Motherwell policing cluster.
The suspect is expected to appear in the New Brighton magistrate’s court on Tuesday on preliminary charges of attempted murder and possession of an unlicensed firearm.
The investigation is ongoing.
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