Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

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Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by RogerFraser »

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News ... a-20200317

A senior Hawks officer has been shot dead on the R37 outside Mbombela.

Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer, 49, was on his way to work when he was gunned down around 07:00.

was shot early this morning while he was on his way from his smallholding between Sabie and Nelspruit on his way to work.

The shooting happened about nine kilometres outside Nelspruit.

Bruwer, a fanatical nature lover, was the lead investigator in numerous high-profile cases in Mpumalanga.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Leonard Hlathi confirmed from the crime scene that Bruwer was killed.

He could, however, not give any more information because the forensic teams were still combing the crime scene for leads.

News24 has confidentially established that several empty cartridges were found on the scene.

A photo taken at the crime scene showed Bruwer's vehicle standing in the yellow lane on the tar road with it nose pointing in the direction of Nelspruit.

Three bullet holes could be seen in the driver's window. The passenger window behind Bruwer's driver's seat also had a hole through it.

GT Lundie, owner of the well-known Zest Restaurant near the crime scene, told News24 he heard three shot at around 06:15.

"I then went to pick up our restaurant staff and on my way to the restaurant, saw the Mercedes parked next to the road.

"I did think much of it as many people park there in the morning to offload staff who is working at the nearby Eden Wildlife Estate. I just drove past."
Image

Bruwer had led several investigations into rhino poaching in Mpumalanga in recent years.

In 2016, he testified how he and a colleague were detained by police when they tried to charge two officers linked to a rhino poaching bust, the Lowvelder reported at the time.

Bruwer was currently also the lead detective in two high-profile rhino poaching cases, that of former policeman Josef 'Big Joe' Nyalunga and suspected rhino kingpin Petrus 'Mr Big' Mabuza, respectively.

Decorated officer

Bruwer, who has been described as a passionate policeman and dedicated investigator, received numerous awards during his career.

In 2016, amongst others, he received the national award for being the best detective in the Hawks.

Advocate Kobus van der Walt, the head of the Mpumalanga Asset Forfeiture Unit, says Bruwer was one of the most dedicated policemen he ever worked with.


"His death leaves an incredible gap in the legal system especially in the investigations into rhino poaching.

"He was a very good friend and colleague."


- Additional reporting by Sheldon Morais and Ntwaagae Seleka.


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Lisbeth »

Killing comes easy in SA 0= 0= 0=


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Richprins »

:evil:


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Alf »

Can only be an inside job O/ O/


Next trip to the bush??

Let me think......................
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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Flutterby »

:evil: :evil:


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Mel »

Incomprehensible 0=


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Richprins »


Hawks officer murder: Two men taken in for questioning

2020-03-19 18:13

Buks Viljoen, Correspondent
Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer was killed on Tuesday while on his wat to work in Nelspruit.

Two men, who were stopped on the side of the N4 near Belfast due to car trouble, have been taken in for questioning in connection with the murder of a senior Hawks detective, says Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi.

"We have a specialist task team investigating the matter. Depending on the information we gather from them during questioning, we will decide if they will be officially charged," said Mulaudzi.

Lieutenant Colonel Leroy Bruwer, 49, was shot and killed on Tuesday while travelling to work in Nelspruit.

His car was riddled with bullets, believed to have been fired from an automatic weapon.

Bruwer, a decorated officer, was the lead investigator in numerous high-profile cases in Mpumalanga.

On Wednesday, Mpumalanga police issued an alert to track a VW Golf and a Ford Mustang which might have been involved in the crime.

Officials with knowledge of the investigation said this followed a tip-off that the Mustang might have been carrying a blue rifle bag, which contained the weapon used in the shooting.

Later in the day, police found two men parked in a grey Ford Mustang on the side of the N4 between Ngodwana and Belfast. The car had a flat wheel.

Sources said, upon searching the vehicle, no weapons or a rifle bag was found.

The K9-unit was also called in to search the car.

Official documentation seen by News24 shows the vehicle is registered under the name of a man linked to a case Bruwer was investigating.

It's unclear if this man is one of the two people taken in for questioning.

The two men are currently being kept at two separate locations.

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News ... g-20200319
Last edited by Richprins on Fri Mar 20, 2020 6:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Lisbeth »

Obviously they have a good track \O


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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Alf »

Hopefully they get the guilty people


Next trip to the bush??

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Re: Decorated senior Hawks officer gunned down in his car near Mbombela

Post by Mel »

The rifle bag is easily gotten rid of... for the moment at least O**


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