Supermarket shootout: Armed robber shot dead fleeing from police

Shoppers were assaulted and one suspect was shot dead as he fled from police after an armed robbery in Greenwood Park, Durban, on Wednesday evening.
“The Blue Security control centre received a call just before 8pm, on Wednesday night, of an armed robbery in progress at a supermarket in Park Station Road and our reaction officers immediately responded,” said Blue Security community and media liaison officer, Andreas Mathios.
“Eyewitnesses reported that a group of about seven men, armed with knives and a firearm, stormed the shop and robbed staff and customers of cellphones, cash and stock before fleeing on foot. Some shoppers were also assaulted during the robbery,” Mathios said. “The suspects also pointed a firearm at a bystander outside the supermarket as they made their escape. The member of the public returned fire when a suspect started shooting at him,” Mathios said.
A member of the public, who was sitting in his car waiting for his family who were shopping inside the supermarket, narrowly escaped injury when one of the bullets in the gunfire exchange hit his car. “One suspect was apprehended by shoppers and arrested inside the supermarket. The Blue Security reaction officer at the scene handcuffed this suspect and handed him over to members of Greenwood Park SAPS,” Mathios said.
A second suspect was arrested by members of another security company as he was attempting to flee on foot. One suspect who produced a firearm while fleeing was shot dead by the police. The remaining suspects are still at large. “Fortunately no members of the public were seriously injured in the incident, although crisis counselling was requested,” Mathios said. CCTV footage did capture the incident and a case of armed robbery is under investigation.