SA world champion fighter shot dead by her police officer boyfriend

World karate, continental and SA boxing female champion Leighandre Jegels was shot and killed on Friday, allegedly by her police officer boyfriend, whom she had a protection order against.

Jegels’ mother, who was also shot in the attack, was rushed to an East London hospital.

A 37-year-old police Tactical Response Team officer was later arrested about 15km from Peddie after the hired white Mercedes-Benz he had been driving was involved in an accident. One person was killed in the accident while four others were injured, the police confirmed to DispatchLIVE on Friday afternoon.

Jegels’s father, Anslin, who was at the scene in Voortrekker Road near Da Gama textile shops, was too distraught to speak to the media. Makhanda police cluster spokesperson Captain Mali Govender confirmed the arrest.

When the WBA Pan-African junior-bantamweight boxing champ was shot dead, she had been travelling in her Volkswagen GTI with her mother to a gym session at Zolani Tete’s All Winners Boxing Club in Mdantsane’s NU1.