Mamelodi, South Africa – A 16-hour hostage standoff in Pretoria East ended in tragedy on Tuesday after an off-duty South African Police Service constable allegedly shot his 18-year-old nephew before taking his own life.
The 32-year-old constable, stationed at Boschkop police station and deployed with the regional Essential Infrastructure Task Team, held his mother, 69, and nephew captive in their home from 8am. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire before police arrived at the scene.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said negotiators managed to secure the release of the constable’s mother at 11pm. She was treated on site by paramedics and later transported to hospital. 
The Special Task Force (STF) was preparing to enter the house when two gunshots were heard. Officers discovered the bodies of both the constable and his nephew inside.
Muridili said the South African Police Service’s Employee Health and Wellness unit was on site to provide psychosocial support to the family and the constable’s colleagues.
A case of murder, kidnapping, and an inquest has been registered at Mamelodi East Police Station, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been notified.
The incident has shocked the community, coming just four years after the constable joined the police service in 2019.
