Gauteng man arrested in connection with attempted hijacking expected in court soon

Gauteng police expect a man who was arrested in connection with an attempted hijacking to appear in court soon.

The man was arrested on Friday after allegedly attempting to hijack a vehicle allocated to police deployed to the G20 Summit.  

Police said the brazen carjacker attempted to steal a vehicle transporting National Intervention Unit (NIU) members who were conducting patrols in and around Johannesburg.

It's understood that while conducting patrols along Empire Road in Johannesburg, the hijacker jumped onto the road and pointed a replica firearm at the driver.

But little did the alleged hijacker know that he was trying to hijack a vehicle carrying specially trained police officers, attached to the NIU.

A shot was fired by one of the NIU members towards the suspect and he sustained a gunshot wound to the upper body.  

Police said the possession of an imitation firearm with the intention to commit an offence, such as hijacking, as well as the pointing of such at a person, of anything which is likely to lead a person to believe that it is a firearm, constitutes an offence in terms of the Firearms Control Act.

They have also warned criminals and those who want to test security measures in place around the G20 Leaders’ Summit that all law enforcement agencies will deal decisively with any criminal element.