A MAN, wanted for stabbing and robbing a cop of his gun, has killed himself.
He did this in the outskirts of Kumani village outside Thulamahashe near Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, on Friday, 26 November.
He was discovered lying dead in the bushes with the gun next to him by shocked residents, who reported the matter to the police.
His worried mum, Mavis Chauke (51), also arrived after receiving the sad news from residents.
She said her son, Blessing Chauke (23), wanted her dead on Thursday when he allegedly attacked her with two knives, demanding R400 to pay for his clothes.
“When I told him I didn’t have the money, he flashed the two knives threatening to kill me. I managed to escape and run to Mhala Police Station to report him. While I was talking to the officers, he started insulting and swearing at one of them. He then jumped at the officer and stabbed him several times with a knife in the head, before ripping off his duty pistol and running away. Since Blessing came back from jail on parole last December, he has been suffering from mental illness. He had many issues and people complained about him,” said Mavis.
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One resident said: “His death is a relief in the village as he was a troublemaker. He broke into our houses and we were afraid he would rob us in the street. Last week, he robbed a woman of her bag. Now he wanted to kill his own mother.”
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala confirmed that the suspect and his mum had a domestic-related dispute, where he threatened to kill her.
“The police tried to resolve the problem, but the suspect was too aggressive towards his mother. As a result, the police separated them by taking the son to the Community Service Centre entrance to talk to him. Then he suddenly stabbed an officer, who screamed for help. Other officers found their colleague bleeding and his firearm missing. They gave chase, but the suspect was gone,” said the brigadier.
“They heard two gunshots and rushed to the direction of the sound, but could not find him. A team later discovered that he had set alight his two-roomed house, and they managed to extinguish the fire. The injured officer was admitted to hospital with several stab wounds to the head.”
He added that the suspect was found by a passerby in the bushes near his home, with a gunshot wound.
“It is suspected that he had committed suicide. The firearm, suspected to be the one robbed from the injured officer, was found next to his body.”
He said a case of robbery, attempted murder, possession of unlicensed firearm and inquest had been opened and investigations were underway.
