JMPD officer gunned down during robbery chase in Vlakfontein
A Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer was fatally shot during a pursuit of robbery suspects in Vlakfontein on the evening of Wednesday, 14 May 2025.
Officer Matome Mokoena, 33, from Region G Operations, was killed after suspects in a white VW Polo opened fire as law enforcement approached. He was later found fatally shot near a nearby residence. The suspects reportedly fled the scene with his service firearm and commandeered a marked JMPD patrol vehicle, which was later discovered abandoned in Lehae.
In a grim development, a member of the public was also found dead in the vicinity, with investigators probing a possible connection to the same suspects.
JMPD confirmed the tragedy in a statement, describing Officer Mokoena as a dedicated and valued member of the force.
“A full-scale investigation is currently underway, in collaboration with SAPS, to track down and arrest those responsible,” the department said.
The killing has sparked outrage and grief within both the JMPD and the wider community.