MASERU — A man from Sehlabeng yesterday committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in an attempt to escape arrest after he allegedly robbed a sand distributing company, Lehlabatheng.
His accomplice is in police custody.
According to the police who collected the body the bullet penetrated his skull and got out through the other side.
A Lesotho Times crew also saw the body before it was ferried away by the Mabote police.
According to a traffic police officer who arrived at the crime scene minutes after the robbers had pounced, the two passed themselves off as customers coming to buy sand.
They were referred to an office where they found the cashier.
They then pulled out their guns and demanded that the cashier gives them money.
She did and they made off with the money.
Minutes after they left the cashier came out of the office screaming and alerting colleagues.
They called MoAfrika FM which alerted the police.
The first people to be informed were two traffic officers who were driving along Mpilo Boulevard Road.
They rushed there.
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“We got a call from MoAfrika FM driving along Mpilo Boulevard and we immediately rushed to the scene. The Special Support Unit (SSU) police had also been alerted and headed in that direction as well. Upon arrival, villagers told the cops that one of the suspects had boarded a taxi in an attempt to flee arrest, the officer said.
But the suspect’s luck ran out when the police barricaded the road and stopped the taxi.
He managed to escape and ran through the village and up the mountain.
“He had a gun with him and so police were careful not to start a gun battle with him. Upon reaching the top of the mountain the deceased hid behind a shallow cave where he shot himself,” the offcer said.
“We believe he shot himself to escape arrest because by the time he reached the top of the mountain, he was surrounded by police.”
He died on the scene at about 3pm and his corpse was ferried in a Mabote Police van three hours later.
The other suspect was chased and apprehended by Koalabata residents who handed him over to the SSU police.
Police investigations continue.