According to Southern Region deputy police publicist Beatrice Mikuwa, the deceased together with his three colleagues were found by the police wandering about near Avis Car Hire in the area.

“We have been receiving reports of criminal cases from this area and police officers are being deployed to make patrols.

What happened is that patrol officers saw four men who were looking suspicious wandering about near Avis Car Rental premises.

“The officers approached them to find out what they were doing and this is when they started running away. Despite warning them to stop they continued to run away until when three of them managed to climb Blantyre Secondary School (BSS) fence, the other was shot.”

She said the deceased was taken to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

“It's not that we just shoot but since they were running away from being interrogated that's why we had to fire,” justified the action Mikuwa.

Details of the deceased are yet to be established but she disclosed that he was found with a small blue bag which had a pistol without ammunition.

“We have intensified search because the three that escaped were also carrying a small bag whose contents are not known.

A week ago police in Limbe shot dead three suspected criminals who were suspected of having plotted to rob a company at Mapanga.