News / National
Two cops shot dead in Chipinge
28 Nov 2015 at 19:07hrs | Views
Two police officers and a suspected poacher have been shot dead in the Nafferton Area, which falls under Chief Mutemaan in Chipinge.
Nafferton is approximately 15 kilometres from Chipinge town to the West and is area adjacent to Chipinge Safari.
On the 23rd of November 2015 at around 1700 hours, 45-year-old Thomas Simango, of plot 34 Nafferton Farm, Chipinge informed Chief Inspector Mapfumo, the Officer In Charge through a text message that he suspected that one Chaita Simango was in possession of a firearm.
Thomas alleged that Chaita uses it for poaching in the Safari and Chipangayi game reserves. Apparently the two, Thomas and Chaita are not related although they reside in the same area.
On the 24th of November 2015 at around 0900 hours, Chief Inspector Mapfumo assigned three police officers from PISI section who proceeded to the area to gather intelligence in respect of the supplied information.
The team went to the scene unarmed and located the informer at Nafferton Primary school. The informer directed the three police officers to Chaita's homestead.
The police officers proceeded to Chaita's homestead where they found him sitting outside in the yard with his wife Yudith Makwecheredze aged 19 and his friend Blessing Jenya also aged 19 of the same village.
The Police officers interviewed the trio and managed to identify their culprit Chaita among the three people. They dismissed Blessing Jenya and remained with Chaita and his wife.
The police officers identified themselves and handcuffed Chaita advising him that he was under arrest for poaching in Chipinge Safari area. They did not want to alert him about the issue of the firearm.
The police told him that they were keen to search his house for game meat. He led the police officers into his hut without informing them about the presence of an unknown man.
This unknown man was reported to have arrived at the homestead on the 22nd November 2015 and Chaita referred to him as his elder brother.
Whilst inside the hut the unknown person who was lying on the bed saw Chaita who was in front handcuffed and he jumped up and got under the bed to reach for the firearm which was under the bed.
Sgt Mazhara who did not realise that the man was going for a firearm also dived in an effort to arrest him but the person grabbed the firearm which is suspected to have been corked and on rapid. He started firing towards the Police officers and Chaita and the trio died instantly from gunshot wounds.
Cst Madenga who was at the door step managed to escape leaving the four including the accused inside the hut. Yudith also fled from the scene upon hearing gun shots.
Cst Madenga phoned to inform Assistant Inspector Tarwira about the shooting incident.
Duty Uniform Branch, CID Chipinge and Support Unit Golf troop reacted and proceeded to the scene.
Sgt Shumba was found lying dead outside the hut with multiple gunshot wounds on the chest and fractured left leg.
Sgt Mazhara was also lying dead inside the hut with multiple gunshot wounds on the head and fractures on both legs.
Chaita was lying dead on the doorstep with intestines protruding, multiple fractures on both arms and legs
A search was conducted and police recovered 8 spent cartridges inside the hut and 13 spent cartridges scattered in the yard. The spent cartridge are of 7,62 x 39 mm calibre used on AK rifles and one green trousers recovered from a tree where it was hanging. The trousers is suspected to be part of parks and wildlife uniform.
Three cell phones and two ZNA camouflage jackets were recovered from underneath the bed.
The direction of flight for the accused could not be established as there were was no trail detected due to rocky and bushy area.
Blessing Jenya who is likely to assist in the identification of this accused was followed up but could not be located from his home and is suspected to have fled from the area. Yudith Makocheredze is currently assisting police with investigations.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Chipinge District hospital mortuary awaiting post mortem.
Nafferton is approximately 15 kilometres from Chipinge town to the West and is area adjacent to Chipinge Safari.
On the 23rd of November 2015 at around 1700 hours, 45-year-old Thomas Simango, of plot 34 Nafferton Farm, Chipinge informed Chief Inspector Mapfumo, the Officer In Charge through a text message that he suspected that one Chaita Simango was in possession of a firearm.
Thomas alleged that Chaita uses it for poaching in the Safari and Chipangayi game reserves. Apparently the two, Thomas and Chaita are not related although they reside in the same area.
On the 24th of November 2015 at around 0900 hours, Chief Inspector Mapfumo assigned three police officers from PISI section who proceeded to the area to gather intelligence in respect of the supplied information.
The team went to the scene unarmed and located the informer at Nafferton Primary school. The informer directed the three police officers to Chaita's homestead.
The police officers proceeded to Chaita's homestead where they found him sitting outside in the yard with his wife Yudith Makwecheredze aged 19 and his friend Blessing Jenya also aged 19 of the same village.
The Police officers interviewed the trio and managed to identify their culprit Chaita among the three people. They dismissed Blessing Jenya and remained with Chaita and his wife.
The police officers identified themselves and handcuffed Chaita advising him that he was under arrest for poaching in Chipinge Safari area. They did not want to alert him about the issue of the firearm.
The police told him that they were keen to search his house for game meat. He led the police officers into his hut without informing them about the presence of an unknown man.
This unknown man was reported to have arrived at the homestead on the 22nd November 2015 and Chaita referred to him as his elder brother.
Whilst inside the hut the unknown person who was lying on the bed saw Chaita who was in front handcuffed and he jumped up and got under the bed to reach for the firearm which was under the bed.
Sgt Mazhara who did not realise that the man was going for a firearm also dived in an effort to arrest him but the person grabbed the firearm which is suspected to have been corked and on rapid. He started firing towards the Police officers and Chaita and the trio died instantly from gunshot wounds.
Cst Madenga who was at the door step managed to escape leaving the four including the accused inside the hut. Yudith also fled from the scene upon hearing gun shots.
Cst Madenga phoned to inform Assistant Inspector Tarwira about the shooting incident.
Duty Uniform Branch, CID Chipinge and Support Unit Golf troop reacted and proceeded to the scene.
Sgt Shumba was found lying dead outside the hut with multiple gunshot wounds on the chest and fractured left leg.
Sgt Mazhara was also lying dead inside the hut with multiple gunshot wounds on the head and fractures on both legs.
Chaita was lying dead on the doorstep with intestines protruding, multiple fractures on both arms and legs
A search was conducted and police recovered 8 spent cartridges inside the hut and 13 spent cartridges scattered in the yard. The spent cartridge are of 7,62 x 39 mm calibre used on AK rifles and one green trousers recovered from a tree where it was hanging. The trousers is suspected to be part of parks and wildlife uniform.
Three cell phones and two ZNA camouflage jackets were recovered from underneath the bed.
The direction of flight for the accused could not be established as there were was no trail detected due to rocky and bushy area.
Blessing Jenya who is likely to assist in the identification of this accused was followed up but could not be located from his home and is suspected to have fled from the area. Yudith Makocheredze is currently assisting police with investigations.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to Chipinge District hospital mortuary awaiting post mortem.
Source - Byo24News
