The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), on Friday, April 7, launched investigations after two police officers were accused of killing a suspect by strangulation.
According to the authority, the suspect had been caught with bags of heroin by the officers in Lamu County.
The authority notified the public that it will take about two weeks to conclude the investigations and escalate the matter to court.
Furthermore, IPOA urged the locals to be calm as the investigations concluded and the culprits were apprehended.
"Have faith that IPOA will do a thorough job in this case. We have a history of solving cases involving police officers and Kenyans.
"In the past, we have made the necessary recommendations to the relevant authorities concerning several cases," IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori stated.
A local in the area emphasised that it was unlawful for police officers to take such drastic measures on a suspect. She urged officers to adhere to the law and protect suspects before they are charged by the court.
"Let us be calm as we wait for the investigations to be concluded," she remarked.
In the incident that occurred on April 4, the suspect reportedly swallowed the drug in a piece of paper, a move that annoyed the officers.
However, the attempt by the officers to choke the drug out of the suspect went south resulting in his death. This angered the residents who attacked the officers.
The officers were forced to fire in the air to disperse the crowd near the King Fahad Kisiwani Hospital. Unfortunately, the gunshot caused a patient to die out of shock.
“He was arrested by our officers but swallowed the piece of evidence immediately after the arrest. Our officers tried to extract the exhibit and it is alleged that in the process, the deceased was strangled and pronounced dead on arrival at the King Fahad hospital,” confirmed Amu Assistant County Commissioner Philip Oloo.
