A man who had been accosted by a robber dramatically wrestled the assailant and snatched an AK-47 rifle from the attacker who stole his Ksh200.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) report, Irungu Mwangi wrestled down the assailant and snatched the firearm from him.
Irungu was walking home at around 8pm on Tuesday, June 7, when he was accosted by an armed robber near Chaka Primary School in Nyeri county. He was ordered to lie down and when the thug demanded money, he gave him the only Ksh200 note he had.
The robber demanded more money but since he was unconvinced that Irungu had no more money, he started ransacking his victim's pockets. When he placed the firearm on the ground, Irungu took the moment to wrestle the man.
"Irungu obliged and when the thug demanded money, he fished out the only Ksh200 note that he had and handed it to him. The thug demanded more money as Irungu pleaded for his life, saying that’s all he had remaining from his day’s work," the DCI reported.
In the process of ransacking Irungu, the assailant put the gun on the ground. The victim seized the opportunity to wrestle the attacker and got hold of the firearm.
"He stepped on his back with one foot and placed the firearm on the ground, to have unfettered access to all of Irungu’s pockets.
"What a terrible miscalculation from the thug who seconds later was fighting to regain control of the firearm from Irungu as the prey turned out to be the predator. With the stealth of a hungry cat, Irungu shoved the assailant to the ground and grabbed the firearm, leading to a brief scuffle as the thug tried to regain control of the firearm," the DCI narrated.
Residents alerted cops who move to the scene and recovered the gun. Police found that the gun was stolen from Nairutia police station in Kieni West sub county, on April 15, 2022.
Also recovered at the scene of the scuffle was a police beret belonging to the Administration Police Service.
"When police officers arrived, it was established that the firearm, serial number AK47 S/No. KP 4915512 with a magazine loaded with 15 rounds of 7.62mm special, was stolen from Nairutia police station in Kieni West sub-county on April 15, 2022, and reported vide OB 05/18/04/2022 at the same station.
"Irungu attributed his bravery to living close to the nearby National Police College Main Campus - Kiganjo, where out of curiosity he had twice peeked through the thick Kei Apple (Kaiyaba) hedgerow, as trainees undertook their musketry and martial arts lessons in the region’s premier police training college," the report added.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect who escaped after the scuffle.
