A butchery attendant in Embakasi area of Nairobi County was shot dead after being caught in a crossfire between a police officer and his Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) counterpart.
The Police officer and the KDF officer were allegedly caught up in a love triangle and had been squabbling over a woman.
The butchery attendant identified as Charles Karugu was shot dead as he tried to protect the KDF officer from the Administrative Police (AP) officer who had gone rogue.
The two were arguing at the butchery on the evening of Sunday, May 30, when the incident occurred.
“When he came back, he had a gun. The KDF guy was still at the scene speaking to some people. When the soldier realised that the officer had a gun and that he had cocked it, he ran into the butchery to seek refuge,” the owner of the butchery told Daily Nation.
The butcher was reportedly shot while closing the door to protect the KDF officer who was already inside the shop.
Karungu sustained injuries in his arm and chest and was left bleeding on the bench. He was declared dead when an ambulance arrived.
“The medics took him into the ambulance and tried to help him but he was declared dead shortly after, so his body was taken to the morgue,” Njau added.
This incident compounds mental illness reportedly ailing the police force especially after a Citizen TV report highlighted the severity of the matter in the force.
The reported indicated that 52 police officers are currently admitted in various facilities over the illness.
That can be attributed to the nature of the job that involves long working hours in traumatic settings without enough psychological support.
In mid-April, a police officer shot and killed a man when he came to the rescue of his younger sister who was being assaulted by the said officer for filming what appeared to be an undercover mission in Mountain View Estate, Nairobi County.
Four police officers raided the home of Evelyn Onziere, the man’s mother, in search of documents authorizing their Wines and Spirits business.
