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NO arrests have yet been made by the Steenberg Police after a Chubb security officer apparently shot and killed Abduragmaan Slarmie (22), who was said to be fleeing the scene of a robbery in Retreat on Tuesday evening, 29 April.

Inspector Hermanus van Dyk, communication officer of the Steenberg Police Station, says that security officers were responding to an armed robbery at Smart Stone in Retreat Road in Retreat at 20:30 last Tuesday.

He says that the security officers confronted the suspects when they arrived on the premises, and the alleged robbers then tried to flee the scene. According to Van Dyk, the Chubb security officers fired "warning shots" after the fleeing men.

"One of the bullets hit Slarmie in the neck," says Van Dyk.

He says that Slarmie's friends managed to escape the scene. According to Alison Bull, Chubb's public relations officer, the two response officers say they acted in self-defence.

She says that Chubb's officers do not fire their guns unless their own lives, or the lives of clients, are threatened. She goes on to say that three shots were initially fired at the officers.

"Our officers then returned fire in self-defence, but they do not know which suspect they hit," says Bull.

She adds that polygraph tests were conducted on the officers; both passed.

"No foul play is suspected. The officers acted in a professional manner in protec?ting the client's property and their own lives," says Bull.

She says that the gun that was apparently used by the group was not retrieved by the police, as they did not know which one of the suspects was carrying it.

She says that the police cordoned off the area and performed a ballistic examination, which Chubb was not privy to.

Police would not confirm whether or not they found any used cartridges from the gun of the alleged robbers.

However, Station Commissioner, Senior Superintendent Sharon Govender, says, "There is only one weapon that we know of".

Govender adds that the security officer's weapon has been confiscated and sent for a ballistic report.

Senior Superintendent Billy Jones, provincial police spokesperson, explains that in a shooting, there are two types of docket that can be opened. Jones says that the defending person must be in immediate danger, or be protecting the life of another, for a case of self-defence to be opened.

The matter would then be investigated. However, he says that if the suspects were running away from the scene and the lives of the security officers were not in immediate danger, then a murder docket would be opened. Jones says that even in the case of a reported armed robbery, the officers would still be expected to assess the situation at their arrival on the scene.

Investigating officer, Superintendent Richard Tonkin, confirms that a murder doc?ket has been opened.

According to Van Dyk, one of Slarmie's friend's, Franswa Faro (allegedly present at the time of the shooting), has come forward to give a statement at the police station.

Van Dyk says that despite that fact that a murder docket has been opened, no arrests have been made. Police are apparently still awaiting the ballistic reports and an answer from the public prosecutor on whether or not any arrests should be made.

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