Cop gunned down with SAPS+SANDF+MK Full auto's

**Martin Hedington** · 08-06-2010, 11:05

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...2919443C172712

By Thandi Skade

While her husband was chasing robbers on the highway, Alicia du Toit was at the police provincial operations room listening to events as they unfolded. Alicia, a police clerk, heard part of the high-speed chase and shootout over the radio before police realised her husband was involved and removed her from the room.

Sergeant Gert du Toit, 32, was killed during a shootout with cash heist robbers in Protea South, Soweto, on Saturday. He had chased the robbers from the N1 south into Soweto after they had successfully executed a cash-in-transit heist near the Maraisburg off-ramp. Alicia was too traumatised to speak to the media on Monday, but a family friend said she and her nine-year-old daughter were taking his death "quite badly".

Fellow police officer and friend Captain Dennis Adriao said it was "sad" that the police had lost a man dedicated to his family and community. He described his friend of more than 18 years as a man who always smiled and never became angry. "I've spoken with members of the K9 unit and we all agree that we never saw Gert angry. He was the type of person you could call on at anytime and you knew he wouldn't let you down. "He was very committed to making a difference in people's lives," Adriao said.

Du Toit was a member of the K9 unit (formerly the dog unit) for six years. His death is reminiscent of the killing almost exactly four years ago of former colleague Constable Pieter Seaward. Seaward was one of four policemen gunned down during the Jeppestown massacre on June 25, 2006.

"The dog unit members are all reliving the horror of Jeppestown, but it has become a matter of us being more determined than ever to crack down on criminals," Adriao said. Lieutenant-Colonel Nasheem Singh, head of the K9 unit, told The Star that news of Du Toit's death had rocked the unit badly, with morale plummeting to an "all-time low".

"It's a huge loss for me and the unit; he's not replaceable. We're at an all-time low at the moment. They (his colleagues) are not accepting this loss of ours," he said. Singh said officers were being debriefed, and getting employee assistance to talk and counsel the officers. "It will take a lot of time to recover," he said. On a message posted to a friend on Facebook, Seaward's widow Nadia said: "It's June once again ... s*** always happens in June."

In another post she wrote: "It's so shocking. I was with him and boats this whole week. I'm gonna miss my friend so much!" Four suspects have been arrested, including a former Coin Security employee. Police are still investigating whether police were involved in the heist or whether criminals had obtained police weapons.

Eight firearms, including an AK-47, three R5 rifles used by SA Police Force members and two R4 rifles issued to defence force members were recovered.

This article was originally published on page 5 of The Star on June 08, 2010
('Comments' still open as at 11:00 Tuesday 8th)

**Bushboy** · 08-06-2010, 13:00

You often hear of SANDF or SAPs members or former members bust. They never say though if some were perhaps neither but former Mk or AZAPO or even a veteran of one of the neighbouring lot (SWAPO, FRELIMO, RENAMO etc take your pick)

**camouflage762** · 10-06-2010, 08:51

Heist suspect linked to other crimes

2010-06-09 19:19

Johannesburg - One of the men arrested after a cash-in-transit heist at the weekend in which a policeman was killed, has been linked to a spate of other crimes, the Hawks said on Wednesday.

"He was also wanted for possession of an unlicensed firearm, hijacking, attempted murder, robbery, escape from lawful custody in a crime spree ranging from 2001 to last year and now, the latest, being a suspect in this robbery," said Hawks spokesperson Musa Zondi.

After the heist at Maraisburg, south-west of Johannesburg, on Saturday, police received information that one of those arrested was using the false name, Thabiso Ledwaba.

"(He) has been linked to a spate of other crimes including the case of shooting at a police helicopter in Eldorado Park last year," said Zondi.

"A team was dispatched to the hospital where the suspects are currently detained to verify the details and fingerprints and other mechanisms confirmed that indeed this was the wanted (man)."

A police sergeant was shot dead and another wounded in a gun fight between police and robbers who held up two cash-in-transit cars on the N1 near Lenasia on Saturday morning.

Three men were arrested and eight firearms recovered.

- SAPA