A passenger was shot and killed by police officers in Mwenezi after the vehicle he was in allegedly sped off when waved down near Rutenga along the Masvingo-Beitbridge Highway on Tuesday.
This area is known for robberies and carjackings.
The deceased, 21-year-old Shadreck Madzore, was sitting at the back of a pick-up truck when he was reportedly hit by two bullets fired from an unmarked Toyota Probox car used by the police.
After a high-speed chase, both vehicles stopped at the tollgate, where police discovered that Madzore had been shot dead.
The deceased’s relatives told NewsDay that police arrested the truck driver and another passenger, accusing them of being robbers. However, they were later released without any charges.
Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Masvingo Province, said he had not yet received the report at the time of writing.
Samson Madzore, the deceased’s uncle, accused the police of overreacting and misusing their firearms. He said:
<blockquote>
The car which is mine had a puncture at that detour. We heard that soon after replacing the wheel, they (the driver and his passengers) proceeded, but were flagged by a Toyota Probox car without plates.
Fearing robbers, they did not stop. My driver sped off with the other car in hot pursuit.
The occupants of the car opened fire and hit Shadreck twice and that is the statement made to police in our presence.
</blockquote>
Reports say that last week, a haulage truck driver was assaulted and robbed of cash and valuables in the same area.
Given this recent incident, it’s possible that the driver of the vehicle in which Shadreck Madzore was a passenger feared the police vehicle might belong to armed robbers since it was unmarked and had no number plates.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200039708/mwenezi-police-gun-down-man-in-cold-blood">NewsDay</a>

Pindula News

In Mwenezi, police shot and killed a passenger in a speeding vehicle. The area is known for robberies. The victim, Shadreck Madzore, was hit by bullets fired from an unmarked police car. The police arrested the truck driver and another passenger but later released them. The deceased's uncle accused the police of overreacting. Last week, a truck driver was robbed in the same area. The driver may have feared the police car was robbers since it was unmarked. This incident may have been a mistake.

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