A man was killed and two others, including a police reservist, were wounded in a shootout following a robbery in Alexandra on Tuesday evening, police said.Inspector Moses Maphakela said the reservist was shot after he stumbled upon four armed men who had just robbed a butchery at the Pan Africa shopping complex.
"Four armed men entered the butchery at 5pm, pointed firearms at the cashiers and ordered everyone to lie down," Maphakela said.
Once everyone was down, the robbers emptied three tills into plastic bags and left the butchery. On their way out, the men fired "warning shots to get people out of their way".
"It was then that a reservist from the Alexandra police station patrolling the area noticed them. They fired shots at him on realising that he saw them and a shootout ensued."
During the exchange, one of the armed robbers was shot dead, while the police reservist and a shopper at the complex were both shot in the leg.
"Paramedics declared the man dead on arrival. They then took the police reservist and the injured shopper to hospital," he said.
Police called to the scene confiscated a revolver from the shot robber.
The other three were still at large having fled with their loot, said Maphakela.
