JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (BN24) — Two police detectives were shot dead Friday morning in Florida, Johannesburg, while transporting a suspect following a court appearance, South African authorities confirmed.
The officers, members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) trio task team, had collected the suspect for a scheduled appearance at Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court related to a 2023 business robbery case, according to police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo.
The shooting occurred at approximately 10:30 a.m. Masondo said the detectives were ambushed and fatally shot while returning the suspect to custody after the court proceedings. Their service firearms were taken during the attack.
The suspect was later spotted driving the unmarked police vehicle used during the transport. That vehicle was later recovered abandoned just a few kilometers from the scene of the shooting.
A manhunt is now underway to locate the escaped suspect and identify the assailants responsible for the deadly ambush.
“We have launched a manhunt,” said Masondo.
The names of the fallen detectives have not yet been released, and no arrests had been reported by late Friday.
