Friendly Fire: Officer shoots colleague as they pursue suspect

Eyewitness said the officer was shooting at the suspect but missed, hitting the colleague. [File, Standard]

A police officer is receiving treatment at Chuka general hospital after he was shot by his colleague while they were pursuing a suspect.

The incident took place at 'Moi girls' slums im Chuka town where they had gone to arrest Mr Kevin Gitonga.

However, the reason for Gitonga's arrest is not clear after police officers avoided to expound more on the issue.

Chuka/Igambangombe police boss Barasa Saiya only confirmed the incident had taken place but did not give out more information.

But Mr Gitonga's family gave an account of what transpired.

Mr Gitonga's wife Doreen Gakii said they were at home discussing family issues when the two officers arrived.

She said the one who shot his colleague commonly referred in the slum as 'Swara' told Mr Gitonga Mr Gitonga that he must kill him.

He drew his pistol and on seeing this, Mr Gitonga started escaping before the officer shot in the air which made him to kneel as a sign of surrendering.

"Even after surrendering, the officer wanted to shoot my husband on the head but fortunately it only bruised him on the face but caught his colleague on the thigh," she said.

Sharon Makena, Gitonga's sister said 'Swara' had been harassing his family for sometime.

"The other time he was coming for my brother but when he found he was not there he arrested my father who is insane and it is only the other day we deposited our title deed as security so he can be released," she said.

Ms Makena wants police to come out clear in the reason they were harassing her brother.

"The officer had no arrest warrant and at the same time we don't know why he is misusing his rifle," she said.

She said they were living in fear because they were not sure whether the officer had an issue with their brother alone or the entire family.

Ms Rosemary Kawira another sister to Gitonga said police officers had taken the area as a centre of all evils in the town including drug trafficking.

By time of going to press senior security officers were still locked in a meeting and could therefore not talk to journalists.