Suspects sought after a Villiers police officer is found dead

The police in Villiers seek assistance from the community in tracing the suspects behind a police officer’s killing in Villiers.

It is alleged that on Friday 9 June 2023 at about 02:45, 47-year-old Detective Warrant Officer Neels Du Rand the Detective Commander of Villiers called Villiers police station informing them that he is following a hijacked truck on the gravel road between Villiers and Standerton requesting backup.

The members of Villiers police station swiftly followed the information and while searching for the member, they noticed a portion of a wire fence damaged at a farm. They continued to check on the farm and discovered an Isuzu bakkie belonging to Warrant Officer Du Rand. They checked the vehicle and found the member in the vehicle motionless; they had to break the window to gain entrance into the vehicle.

The police officer sustained four gunshot wounds to his back and was declared dead on the scene by emergency services. Nothing was taken from him or his vehicle. The hijacked truck was found abandoned about 8km towards Standerton, Mpumalanga Province. A preliminary investigation revealed that the hijacked truck was escorted by a white BMW sedan with false registration.

The acting Provincial Commissioner of the Police in the Free State, Major General Len Singh said it is sad to lose a member with such vast experience in the police. “We woke up to the sad news of the incident. My heart goes out to the family, fri and colleagues of Warrant Officer Neels du Rand. He had 29 years of loyal service and he will be deeply missed,” said Major General Singh.

Source: South African Police Service