18-year-old gang member and alleged extortionist was killed in a shootout with police in Heideveld, Cape Town

[News]

According to reports,The 18-year-old member of the Terrible Josters gang had turned his gun on police in an attempt to escape being arrested on Saturday morning.

Police spokesperson, Captain Ian Bennett, says cops responded to a complaint on the corner of Duinefontein and Ascension roads shortly after 7am.

"The officers were responding to a complaint of three males who were stopping the taxi drivers and extorting money from them and robbing community members,“ he said.

“SAPS members deployed within the Manenberg Policing Precinct... saw three males standing on the corner and they started to run away when they spotted the police vehicle.”

Bennett explains the suspects ran in the direction of Rooiberg Road but one of the gunmen turned to point his gun at cops and attempted to shoot.

“SAPS members fired several shots at the suspect. The suspect, now known as an 18-year-old male from Heideveld, succumbed to his injuries on the scene.

“He is a prominent gang member within the Heideveld area. A fatal shooting of any criminal suspect is not always easy and members suffer the trauma affecting their mental health.

It should not be taken lightly and could affect service delivery. A firearm found on the scene has been handed in for ballistic testing.”

It is alleged that after the shooting community members jolted saps vehicles with rocks and attempted to remove evidence from the scene.

IPID is investigating the matter.