Police shoot murder suspect

One of the suspects in three robbery incidences where police officers were shot dead died on Monday while receiving treatment at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) after being shot by police in Limbe.

The deceased, identified as 32-year-old Joseph ‘Stone’ Black, is suspected to be one of the armed thugs who shot dead Sergeant Patrick Mvula in the K100 million FMB robbery in 2014; Assistant Superintendent Victor Midiyani during a foiled robbery in Limbe in March this year and Sub-Inspector Yohane Mabutao during a cash heist at OG plastics shops in Limbe in October this year.

National Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa, speaking in a telephone interview on Wednesday, said the incident happened following Black’s arrest in a sweeping exercise which police officers were conducting in Blantyre City.

According to Gondwa, Black was one of those arrested on Monday and police officers recognised him as one of the suspected hard core criminals who has been on their wanted list for some time.

Gondwa said one of his accomplices arrested during the sweeping exercise identified him as the one keeping the gun which they use in their operations and police told him to lead them to where the gun and the stolen items were being kept.

“He was an uncorporative suspect to the extent that he took police to three different locations looking for the weapon. Finally, he took them to Kachere Township where after taking the police around the trading centre he told them the gun was at Machinjiri Township.

“It was on their way to Machinjiri that he jumped from the police van in an attempt to escape. Police opened fire to scare him but he was hit by a bullet. He was immediately taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” said Gondwa. n