Cop hurt in hostage drama
2006-06-25 17:17
Johannesburg - A female police officer was whisked away just before 17:00 on Sunday afternoon after she was injured in the hostage drama taking place at Jeppestown in Johannesburg.
It is unclear where the woman - with her head bandaged and bloodied - was taken to, or how she had been injured.
Another weeping female cop was taken to a police vehicle outside the house.
A special task force arrived earlier in the afternoon to deal with the hostage situation at the house on the corner of Main and Hans streets, police said.
National police spokesperson Dennis Adriao said he could give no further information other than that a hostage situation was under way.
Sapa's reporter at the scene said a helicopter hovered over the building while scores of onlookers attempted to glean from police what was happening.
Gang
A policeman was shot dead earlier in a shoot-out between police and the gang of about 20 heavily armed men who had occupied the house.
The shoot-out started after police had followed the gang from an armed robbery in Honeydew to Jeppestown.
Earlier Johannesburg police spokesperson Sanku Tsunke said two policemen were still in the building hiding from the gang.
SABC reported that ten of the armed men had handed themselves over to police and that negotiations with the other ten were still under way.
- SAPA