Police Support Unit spokesman, Inspector Charles Jack, confirmed the shooting of Tinenhamo Mpofu of Albert Shumba village in Sovelele, whose age was not given and is suspected to have been the ringleader of a poaching syndicate.

“It is true that police shot and killed a suspected ringleader of a poaching syndicate after he became so daring that he wanted to attack the police with a spear and a knobkerrie.

Realising that the man was charging at them, the police fired warning shots in the air but the man was not deterred and continued charging at them resulting in them opening fire and shooting him in the left side of the ribs.

“I am not, however, so sure of the developments that followed the man’s death,’’ he said.

Insp Jack said Mpofu charged at the police officers with a spear and a knobkerrie after they had positively identified themselves and despite having fired warning shots.

Sources, however, said that the burial was carried out days after Mpofu’s death because of a conflict between his relatives and the police.

“Accusations and counter-accusations were flying thick and fast between the deceased’s family who felt the shooting was unwarranted and a result of panic on the part of police officers, while police maintained that had they not shot him he would have killed or injured one of them.

The relatives and other villagers who felt what the police had done was not fair went and dumped the body at the place where the Support Unit Police were camping,’’ said the source who declined to be named.

Inspector Jack said Mpofu was shot after the discovery of a giraffe carcass in the Drummond Range near West Nicholson by Mr Derrick Lentock who reported the case to the Police Support Unit who were camped in the area.

Police details went to the scene to investigate the poaching incident and tracked the spoor to Sovelele.

However, when they got to the village, he said, it became difficult for them to continue tracking the spoor and decided to ask villagers who told them that Mpofu was a well-known ringleader of a poaching syndicate.

He added that the police went to his house to investigate and upon arrival they knocked at the door and identified themselves.

Mpofu, however, came out of the house armed with a spear and a knobkerrie and charged at the police who fired in the air but could not deter him.