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others escaped.
The six are suspected to have been specialising in house breaking and theft, theft of car parts and stealing cars in Marondera and its surrounding areas.
Criminal Investigations Department national spokesperson Detective Inspector Augustine Zimbili, yesterday confirmed the incident.
“We are handling such a case but it is too early to pre-empt everything for fear of jeopardising investigations underway,” he said.
However, sources close to the investigations said following a spate of robberies in Marondera, detectives resolved to carry out night patrols.
“It was during such patrols that at around 4am on August 3 that they bumped into six men near Wedza turnoff.
“The detectives became suspicious and parked their vehicle close to the scene,” the source said.
It is alleged the detectives identified themselves to the six men who fled in different directions.
The robbers never took heed of the warning shots fired by the detectives, said the source.
“In the darkness the detectives were hot on the heels of the fleeing suspects.
“One of the detectives gave chase to a suspect who was holding something that resembled a rifle.
“He fired in the direction of the fleeing man and in the process, shot him from behind and he died instantly,” said the source.
The source added that the other five were pursued and one of them was arrested hiding in a bush.
The other four escaped.
“The arrested suspect is currently assisting police with investigations, while the name of the deceased is still being withheld as his next of kin have not yet been informed,” the source said.
The source said a search close to the scene of the shooting led to the recovery of a bolt cutter.
“We believe it (bolt cutter) is the one which was being used to commit some of the offences,” said the source.
derick.khumalo