A POLICE officer yesterday shot and wounded a suspected thief who wanted to break into his house with his service pistol at the Nambweza location at Katima Mulilo.
Zambezi regional police spokesperson, inspector Kisco Sitali said the incident happened at around 02h58. A charge of attempted murder was reported at the Katima Mulilo Police Station, and investigations are in progress.
The owner of the house is a warrant officer, and has not been arrested, he added.
“It is alleged that two unknown suspects tried to break into the house by cutting the burglar bars. The owner woke up when he heard suspicious sounds, and went to investigate. When the suspects realised that the owner had woken up, they decided to flee the scene, which is when he shot one of them with a service pistol and struck him on the lower left leg, which got fractured.
“The victim is not yet known, but suspected to be a Zambian national. He is receiving treatment at the Katima Mulilo State Hospital,” Sitali said, adding that the other suspect escaped.
He said a case of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, and being found in possession of housebreaking implements, was registered against the suspect.
Sitali added that in the past four months alone, about 102 cases of housebreaking were reported at Katima Mulilo, and the stolen goods are more often recovered in neighbouring Zambia.
“Most stolen goods are flat-screen television sets, DVDs, laptops and other electrical appliances. There are neighbourhood watch committees established in all suburbs, but only a few individuals participate in crime prevention activities. Communities in all suburbs are urged to get involved in crime combating activities to discourage housebreaking cases,” he advised.
Sitali said they have also had cases of residents who hide their goods, and then claim that they have been stolen in order to commit insurance fraud.
“This does not only raise the number of recorded housebreaking cases, but people can also be arrested and charged.
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