Senior citizens run roadblock
2003-03-05 08:29
Johannesburg - Two senior citizens were arrested on Tuesday after they sped away from a roadblock in Soweto and then began shooting at police who chased them, spokesperson Captain Mbazima Shiburi said.
The men aged 55 and 62, travelling in a bakkie, approached a roadblock at Kliptown, Soweto, about 19:00, but aroused suspicion when they suddenly reversed and sped away.
Shiburi said police gave chase and the two men began firing at them. Police returned fire and a female pedestrian was hit in the leg.
She was taken to Chris Hani-Baragwanath hospital in a stable condition.
The men tried to escape, but were arrested.
When their bakkie was searched police found a 9mm machine-pistol with the serial number filed off and a pump-action shotgun with eight cartridges. It was established that the bakkie had been stolen in Roodepoort.
Both men were being held at Kliptown police station and would appear on Wednesday in Protea magistrate's court in connection with charges of attempted murder, illegal possession of unlicensed firearms and possession of a stolen vehicle, Shiburi said.
- SAPA