A woman shot by police at a roadblock near Emali town on Sunday is a suspected watermelon thief, officers in Kajiado said on Monday.
She was shot four times.
Kajiado county police commander Beatrice Gachago said the injured woman was in a car driven by a man who has been arrested.
“A complainant by the name Robert Muthiani from Oloosuyian Farm in Imaroro called Mashuuru police station complaining about theft of watermelons in his farm,” she said.
Gachago said Muthiani, a farm manager, gave the police the description of the car used by two people he accused of stealing the watermelons.
The police gave chase.
Several kilometres later, one of the officers giving a chase shot at the suspects' car a number of times, Gachago said.
The driver, however, sped off, leaving the police car behind.
The suspects' car was later flagged down at a roadblock on the Emali-Loitokitok road.
A police source said the officers manning the roadblock noticed the woman passenger was bleeding profusely.
“After inquiries, the woman was rushed to Makindu hospital as the man was held by other police officers. Our officers at the roadblock later learnt the woman was shot by their colleague from Mashuuru police station,” the source said.
He said the matter is complicated as the officer who opened fire was aware a petty crime had occurred that did not necessarily require the use of a firearm.
The officer said on arrival at Makindu Subcounty Hospital in Makueni county, doctors removed a bullet lodged in the woman’s stomach.
“Three bullets went through her thigh, hand and waist. Doctors say she is in stable condition,” the officer said.
The hospital’s medical officer of health Dr David Kasanga did not pick our calls in the morning or respond to our SMS.
Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya
