A man died in a shootout with officers from the Namibian Police Force (NamPol) Wildlife Protection Unit after allegedly being caught in a rhino poaching incident at farm Okarakua in the Windhoek district on Saturday.

A crime report issued on Monday by NamPol said the deceased, whose age is unknown, was one of three suspects who were allegedly attempting to kill a rhino cow and its calf around 17h40.

Another suspect aged 27 was apprehended and was seriously injured in the process, while the third suspect fled the scene. He was however arrested on Monday, it said.

According to the report the NamPol team fired warning shots to stop the suspects but they fled the scene. When the police officers pursued the suspects, the suspects allegedly fired shots at the police, who then returned fire.

“A hunting rifle, silencer, rounds, two horns and two cell phones were discovered. The value of the items are not yet determined,” it said.

The report said a murder case was also opened against the members of the wildlife protection unit.

The next of kin of the deceased are not yet informed and police investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency