Cop shoots, kills boy, 8

Lesedi Kegorogile | Tuesday December 11, 2018 14:21

 

The gun that accidentally killed the boy was a police service pistol.  There were initial suggestions that the officer might have shot the boy deliberately. 

Police spokesperson Near Bagali disclosed that the police officer was on duty in Tati Siding and it happened that he visited some people where the young boy resided. 

“We are yet to establish what exactly happened but from the preliminary investigations it looks like the bullet was accidentally discharged from the gun and in the process killed the child.  We have established a strong team to investigate the incident,” he said. 

He added that a determination of action that could be taken against the officer would be made after police investigations have been completed. 

There have also been strong insinuations from the public that the officer handled the gun carelessly, which is why it accidentally shot off killing the boy. 

Bagali said that the officer was officially authorised to use the gun. 

“Where he was deployed at the time required the use of a gun,” he said, without revealing the nature of task the officer was assigned to do.  

Bagali would also not be drawn into discussing more details about the nature of the shooting, especially where the boy sustained the shot.

“This is a very sensitive matter.  We will release more detailed information about the incident at the right time,” Bagali said.