Port Elizabeth police shot and killed one armed suspect and arrested two more, following a robbery in Dispatch.
Police Spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu says one of the suspects managed to get away.
The men, armed with a firearm and gas pistol, allegedly robbed a store in End Street in Khayamnandi in Despatch where they helped themselves to some groceries, meat and a small amount of money.
She says they then fired a gunshot, before fleeing in a green Mazda. The vehicle's registration number was immediately circulated and police in surrounding areas were alerted to be on the lookout.
The car was eventually spotted on the corner of Noooitgedacht and Uitenhage road in Kleinskool and a chase ensued.
Naidu says the suspects fired shots at police who called for back-up after returning fire.
The men then jumped out of their moving vehicle and ran in different directions before the car crashed into a stationary Corsa Sedan.
The flying squad, who had meanwhile joined the search, managed to arrest two of the suspects.
One suspect, aged 31 sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg while his 25-year-old accomplice was shot in the arm and chest.
Naidu says police later found a third suspect's body in the nearby bushes with a gunshot wound to the head.
Police confiscated a gas pistol and firearm which was inside their Mazda.
The men will be charged with attempted murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition and the possession of stolen goods.
She says police are still searching for the fourth man.
