Malawi police shoot dead criminal suspect, found with pistol

Malawi Police has said the details of an alleged criminal suspect shot dead Ndirande’s Makata Industrial Area, Blantyre  on Wednesday evening  were yet to be established.

Both Blantyre Police Station assistant spokesperson Andrew Mayawo and deputy spokesperson for Police southern region Beatrice Mikuwa confirmed that cops on patrol open fire when they saw  four people loitering around in the evening.

When thePolice questioned the four, they started running away prompting the officers  to shoot in the air and that a stray bullet hit one of them.

“What happened is that patrol officers saw four men who were looking suspicious wandering about near Avis Car Rental premises,” Mayawo said,.

He said Police have been receiving reports of criminal cases from Makata Industrial Area and police officers are being deployed to patrol the area.

He said Police fired in the air and three of the suspects managed to climb Blantyre Secondary School (BSS) fence but one was hit by a stray bullet.

Mikuwa corroborated the story, saying when the gunned down suspect was searched, he was found with a parabellum pistol without ammunition.

“His identity is yet to be established,” Mikuwa said.

The  deceased was taken to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) where he was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.

This incident comes barely a week after police in Limbe shot dead three suspected criminals who were suspected of having plotted to rob a company at Mapanga.