By Doreen Mokgolo
- A 33-year-old JMPD officer was shot and killed after approaching a suspicious vehicle linked to a robbery.
- The suspects fled in his patrol car, which was later found abandoned. Police believe they may have killed another person nearby.
Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer Matome Mokoena was shot and killed after confronting a group of armed robbers in Vlakfontein.
Mokoena, 33, and his colleagues were on patrol in Region G when they received a description of a vehicle linked to a robbery – a white Volkswagen Polo.
JMPD spokesperson Superintendent Xolani Fihla said the officers located the vehicle and stopped it.
“While the driver initially failed to comply, the officers were able to bring the vehicle to a halt,” said Fihla.
Mokoena approached the driver’s side of the Polo, which had five people inside. As he neared the car, shots were fired from inside.
“Both officers immediately took cover. The suspects chased Officer Mokoena to a nearby house, where he was fatally shot,” said Fihla.
The suspects took Mokoena’s JMPD firearm and drove off in the marked patrol car, which had been left idling at the scene.
Fleet Services later disabled the vehicle remotely. It was found abandoned in Lehae.
Police are also investigating the shooting of another person in the same area. They believe it may be connected to the group that killed Mokoena.
JMPD Chief of Police, Commissioner Patrick Jaca, said, “This is a dark day for the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department and the entire city.”
He called Mokoena’s killing “an attack on all law-abiding citizens”.
“We will not rest until those responsible for this cowardly act are found and face the full might of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Mokoena’s family, and we will ensure that his sacrifice is not in vain,” said Jaca.
He said the JMPD had launched a full-scale investigation and was working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to find those behind the killing.
Pictured above: Officer Matome Mokoena.
Image source: JMPD
