High Speed Chase in Philippi

The City’s enforcement agencies made 231 arrests in the past week and recorded 40 496 traffic and by-law offences. In Philippi, Metro Police officers arrested three suspects on a range of charges following a high speed chase.

Metro Police officers arrested 75 suspects in the past week – 23 of them for driving under the influence of alcohol – and issued 2 623 notices for traffic and by-law offences.

Yesterday afternoon, just before 15:00, members of the K9 Unit arrested three suspects after a pursuit in the Philippi area.

Officers were driving on Varkensvlei Road when they spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen earlier in Mitchells Plain.

They made a U-turn and gave chase after the driver, who, instead of stopping when prompted, sped off, driving erratically and causing a danger to other road users.

The suspects drove past the Siqalo Informal Settlement, onto Jakes Gerwel Drive and then towards Govan Mbeki. During this time, they pointed a firearm at the officers, who then opened fire in return.

The vehicle then came to a standstill on Old Lansdowne Road and the chase continued on foot. The officers managed to apprehend all three suspects, aged 33, 41 and 45.

They also recovered two 9mm pistols sans serial numbers, a number of blank and live rounds of ammunition, and an imitation firearm.

While on scene, two complainants positively identified the suspects as having robbed them of their belongings earlier in the day.

‘These suspects were incredibly brazen in their actions, but our officers had the last word. Only one of the two complainants filed criminal charges, which is a pity. While the reluctance is understandable, these suspects will face fewer charges and likely shorter jail terms if convicted.

‘So far in this financial year, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of stolen vehicles recovered by our Metro Police Department. In this case, the vehicle was recovered just hours after the alert was issued. I want to appeal to motorists to report incidents of stolen vehicles as soon as possible, to improve the chances of recovery and preventing even more criminal acts,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In the past week, the Law Enforcement Department made 141 arrests and issued 8 043 notices for various offences.

Traffic officers arrested 13 motorists for driving under the influence and two for reckless and negligent driving. They also recorded 29 830 offences, impounded 157 public transport vehicles and executed 1 243 warrants of arrest.

The Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) recorded 1 612 incidents over the weekend, including 80 cases of assault, 36 cases of domestic violence and 47 motor vehicle and pedestrian vehicle accidents.