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.
Shooting: The road: Botanic Gardens has been closed to traffic in both directions from Steve Biko to Chris Ntuli Road, Durban.
Via ALS Paramedics. pic.twitter.com/Syqzg9dzBX
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) March 18, 2026