Off-Duty Cop Shoots Dead Man in Durban Phone Snatch Attempt

Around 7:30 a.m. on Botanic Gardens Road in Berea, near Durban University of Technology’s Steve Biko Campus, a man in his twenties tried to steal the officer’s cellphone. When the suspect pulled a knife, the officer fired back, hitting him in the head; the man fled briefly before collapsing and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics.

Berea police opened an inquest into the shooting, as is standard for officer-involved cases, amid Durban’s common street crimes like cellphone muggings. Many online reactions praised the officer, noting the risks of targeting police in the high-crime province.