Hunt on for cop killers

2008-08-28 21:11

Johannesburg - A police officer died in hospital after robbers shot him at a shop in Actonville on Thursday, Johannesburg police said.

The on-duty officer walked in on a robbery at the shop at around 11:50 intending to buy cigarettes.

"He was shot in the upper body as he stepped towards the counter. He was critically wounded," said spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman.

Opperman said the robbers stole the officer's official pistol, money, cigarettes and a cellphone before running away.

"The officer was rushed to hospital while a large contingent of police officers saturated large parts of Actonville in an attempt to flush out the suspects," he said.

No arrests had been made.

The Gauteng provincial commissioner, Perumal Naidoo, expressed his condolences to the family and colleagues of the deceased.

- SAPA