An off-duty law enforcement officer who was shot and wounded during an attempted cash-in-transit heist at Goldman Crossing Shopping Centre on June 12 was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday.
The incident unfolded when four armed men travelling in a Toyota bakkie allegedly attempted to rob a Fidelity cash-in-transit vehicle before fleeing the scene, reported Roodepoort Record.
The matter remains under investigation, and no arrests have been made.
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Steven Vorster said he had been at the shopping centre to apply for a new ID.
While he and a colleague were waiting in their vehicle for the bank’s system to come online, he decided to buy something to drink at SPAR.
Moments later, gunfire erupted.
“I immediately took cover between my vehicle and another car. I stood there watching everything unfold, and at that stage nothing had happened to me,” he recalled.
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“I stood there for minutes, but when I took out my firearm, they started shooting at me from behind,” he said.
Vorster said he noticed two suspects armed with a rifle and a 9mm handgun behind him.
They shot him in the leg before he could run for cover, shooting him for a second time after he managed to run around his vehicle towards the bank.
He sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his legs and buttocks. Despite being armed, he did not return fire.
Having worked in law enforcement for 13 years, he said this was the first time he had been wounded in the line of duty.
The married father of two explained that over the years, he has prepared himself mentally for the harsh realities of his profession.
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“I’m very grateful to be alive,” he said.
With the amount of blood that was coming out, I thought they had hit an artery. I honestly didn’t think I was going to make it.
Vorster expressed gratitude to the members of the public who came to his aid.
“I’m thankful to the bank employee who lent me his belt so I could tie my leg. I am also grateful to the two gentlemen who rushed me to the clinic while we waited for an ambulance. They even lent me their phone so I could call my wife because my phone had been shot and exploded.”
Doctors expect him to remain at home for about two months while undergoing physiotherapy and recovering from his injuries.
*This article first appeared on Roodeport Record
