Eastern Cape police fatally shot a suspect during a confrontation on the R61 near Mthatha. The incident involved the Police National Intervention Unit responding to intelligence about illegal firearms. This follows a similar shootout the previous day.
Police in the Eastern Cape province engaged in a deadly shootout with a suspect on the R61 road in Corhana, near the city of Mthatha. The operation was carried out by the Police National Intervention Unit (NIU), which had received intelligence indicating the suspect was in possession of illegal firearms.
According to provincial police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana, NIU members attempted to intercept the suspect's vehicle. The situation escalated when the suspect exited the vehicle and began firing at the officers. In response, the police returned fire, resulting in the suspect being fatally wounded.
Emergency Medical Services arrived at the scene and declared the suspect deceased. Preliminary investigations revealed two firearms recovered from the location. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate was notified to investigate the incident, as per standard procedures.
This event echoes another confrontation on Thursday, also on the R61, this time heading toward Mthatha airport. In that earlier incident, another suspect was shot and killed under similar circumstances, with firearms discovered at the scene.
Such operations highlight ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat illegal arms possession in the region, though they raise questions about the use of lethal force in high-risk encounters.