A 22-year-old Plaisance labourer suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh on Saturday during a police operation in relation to killing of former Chief Education Officer Olato Sam.
The police were in an unmarked vehicle conducting surveillance for the suspect in the Sam case. A police statement said that a .32 pistol without serial number and two rounds were recovered.
The police statement said that a gazetted officer and a party of ranks were on a surveillance operation in Plaisance in the vicinity of Robert Road at about 21:15 hours. The 22-year-old labourer, who resides at the same address, was seen standing at the side of the road next to a fence. The ranks exited the vehicle and the suspect started walking away and went through a small opening in the fence. The ranks shouted for the suspect to stop but the police said that he reached into his waist and pulled out what “seemed” to be a firearm.
A rank discharged one round which hit the suspect in his right thigh and he fell into a clump of bushes. Meanwhile, a crowd, comprising mostly of family members of the suspect, converged and were behaving in a disorderly manner, the police said.
The suspect was picked up and escorted to the GPHC. Ranks later returned to the scene and searched the area where the suspect was shot, and a .32 pistol (without serial number) and two rounds were recovered. The firearm was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station.
The suspect was admitted as a patient at the GPHC and is under police guard in a stable condition. Investigations are ongoing.
