Off-duty cops fend off bandits in Mt Hope

Two off-duty police officers got into a shootout with bandits who tried to rob them of their car and valuables early on Sunday.

Police said PCs Cato, of the North Eastern Division Gang Intelligence Unit, and Hyde, of the Morvant CID, were both in Cato’s Nissan Navarra on Private Road, Mt Hope, at 1 am on Sunday with two women in the back seat, when two men approached, one holding a gun.

The men announced a robbery and told Cato, Hyde and the other occupants to get out of the van.

Both officers drew their guns and shot at the bandits. There was a shoot-out and then a beige Nissan X-Trail pulled in front of the bandits for them to get in. The bandits got in and drove off.

Immediately after, the occupants of a silver Nissan Tiida fired at the off-duty officers before driving off as well.

In the aftermath, crime scene investigators foundd 29 spent 9mm shells at the scene. A black Toyota Aqua was damaged in the shootout.