Off-duty constable fatally shot during confrontation with police in Nababeep
Police have launched an inquest after an off-duty constable was fatally shot during a confrontation in Nababeep.
Image: File
AN OFF-DUTY police constable was shot and killed during a tense confrontation in Nababeep on Thursday evening, sending shockwaves through the law enforcement community.
According to Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Sergio Kock, the 30-year-old officer, stationed at the Springbok police station, died in a volatile incident that unfolded just after 8pm on July 3, when local police responded to a riotous behaviour complaint in Nababeep.
According to initial reports, the situation escalated when the off-duty officer — who was apparently armed — confronted the responding officers in a threatening manner. It’s believed he pointed a firearm at the officers, prompting a fatal exchange.
The scene has since become the focus of a formal inquest, with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) now tasked with probing the exact circumstances of the shooting. As the investigation unfolds, no arrests have been made.
The tragedy has cast a pall over the Northern Cape police service, with provincial leadership expressing condolences to the officer’s family and colleagues as they come to terms with the loss.
The community of Nababeep remains shaken by the incident, which raises difficult questions around mental health support for police officers.