26 Aug 2019

Jwaneng police are investigating a case in which a police officer shot and killed his wife before taking his own life over the weekend.  

In an interview, Jwaneng Station Commander, Superintendent Thuso Basuti said that between 5pm and 6pm on Saturday they got a call from the deceased’s neighbour reporting a likely incident of domestic fight. 

“The neighbour said they heard the officer arguing with his wife and reported to us. When my officers rushed there to investigate what they expected to be a domestic fight, they found the wife’s car parked outside the gate and she was inside bleeding heavily from under the breast and looked unconscious,” he said. 

Supt Basuti said the officers then forced open the door of the house as it was locked, and found the officer lying unconscious in a pool of blood with an official police pistol lying next to him. 

“Although investigations are still fresh our initial suspicions are that the officer used the pistol to take both lives. The neighbours also indicated that they heard a bang, but only thought it was from the wife’s car as it had hit the gate,” he said. 

Supt Basuti also indicated that even though they interacted with the officer on a daily basis, he did not show any signs of being emotionally unwell. 

“We have counselling services at work and we also work hand in hand with the social worker that provides counselling services. So if he had sort assistance he would have found help,” he said. 

Supt Basuti said they usually advised people to share any problems they may have with close confidantes and professionals to avoid such tragedies. 

He also said the incident was the first of its kind this year in his policing area. Ends