The National Police Service on Monday issued a statement recounting how its officer was compelled to shoot rioters dead in Trans-Nzoia County.
According to the police, the OB 7/16/12/18 record from Endebess Police Station show that one Sergeant Joseph Juma Kimame of Kolongolo Patrol Base sent three of his officers. Peter Kamau Njoroge, Denis Onjiri and Moffat Murigi to effect an arrest a suspect in an assault case.
The officers arrested one Dan Juma but in an unlikely twist of events, over a hundred civilians turned rowdy in an attempt to rescue the suspect by force.
One of the officers then fired three rounds in the air in a bid to disperse the rowdy irate members of the public.
"The crowd swell and the suspect managed to escape handcuffed. The public descended on the officers chasing them," the statement indicated.
The only armed officer in the team was hit with a stone on the chest fell down and one member of the public allegedly came and tried to snatch the rifle from him.
In the ensuing melee, the officer fatally shot two people who were part of the rowdy crowd.
"The crowd retreated partially then the officers got a chance to escape to the post. The crowd swell and advanced towards the patrol base," the police statement continued.
The officers called for reinforcement from the GSU Chepchoina, Kwanza police post and Endebess police station.
"The first to arrive was the GSU section whose vehicle reg GKB228U was pelted with stones after they found the road to the patrol base blocked," the account of events goes noting that a second police vehicle was also damaged in the incident.
The officer who was driving the reinforcement team was hit with a stone on the right hand after the driver's window was smashed which made him lose control and the vehicle overturned.
"10 officers were pelted with stones injuring them as they tried to protect the land cruiser from being torched. The rowdy public proceeded to attack the patrol base," the police stated.
"All the four officers of the patrol base were injured in the process. Body of one Moris Walela aged 27 years collected by police and another one of Caleb Sakwa aged 27 years was forcefully taken away by the irate crowd," the record in the OB stated.
The gun used in the shooting was reportedly taken by the DCI office for further investigation and the officer involved in the shooting placed in custody to help with investigations.
In a statement signed by Charles Wahongo, the Director of Corporate Communications, police decried the increasing incidents of civilians attacking officers in the line of duty.
"Attempting to forcibly release a suspect is a serious offence that calls for police to use the necessary force and we shall not shy away from dealing with such kind of behaviour as the law demands," Owino cautioned.
