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Latest update: 21/01/2011
- France - police - South Africa - weapons
Two believed to be French fugitives shot dead by South African police
Two people shot dead by South African police Thursday are believed to be a French couple who killed a policeman last week after officers inspected their home. The couple had been on the run since the incident.
AFP - South African police shot dead two people believed to be a French couple on the run after allegedly killing a policeman during a search of their rental home, a top officer said Thursday.
"I can confirm a man and a woman have been shot dead by the police," Northern Cape police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Hendrik Swart told AFP.
"At this stage it has not been positively identified as the couple we are looking for but we are looking at the possibility it is them."
Swart said the people were killed around 11:00 am (0900 GMT) during a shootout with police after they were found in a farm house in Sutherland, 350 kilometres (217 miles) from Cape Town.
Philippe Pierre Meniere, 60, and Agnes Jeanne Jardel, 55, had been on the run since last Friday after they apparently shot dead Student Constable Jacob Boleme, 27, and wounded Warrant Officer Glenwall Du Toit, 42.
The police had gone to the farm with a search warrant on Friday after being contacted by the owner who suspected the couple of having illegal weapons. The couple had rented the house for more than 10 years.
Weapons were seized during the search but as officers sought to take the man into custody his wife opened fire, instantly killing Boleme, according to police.
Officers found the couple on Thursday after a helicopter was sent out on Wednesday night to observe a farm house after the owner of the farm reported some suspicious activity in the area.
"They were found in an unoccupied house in a farm house about a kilometre from where the original incident took place," Swart said.
"They opened fire on the police and they were shot dead...officers also found lots of ammunition and firearms."
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Comments (1)
French Couple in SA Killed
The French authorities MUST investigate this.
The police in SA are NEVER called to evict people from private property.
It is a civil matter and requires a court order and then action by the local non-criminal sheriff of the court.
The couple may have been acting in self defence when the policeman was shot when possibly attempting to evict the couple and subsequently the police may have murdered the couple to prevent testimony.
In Cape Town last week a prominent sportsman was killed in an altercation with a local policeman.
This sportsman is now being demonised by the local media, and the French couple are being similarly 'devalued' by irrelevant references to some cult..
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