A gangster killed an undercover detective by stabbing him in his neck and back on Tuesday evening.
The victim and his colleague had been pursuing three gang members at Magodoroni in Kisauni, Mombasa county, when the incident took place.
Kisauni OCPD Sangura Musee said the officers had responded to a distress call at about 5.30 pm on criminals robbing members of the public.
"The criminals noticed them as they approached so one hid in a corner of a building and stabbed our officer, leading to serious injuries," Musee said.
"The officer acted swiftly and fatally injured the attacker."
The detective was rushed to Pandya Hospital and then to Premier Hospital where he died from excessive bleeding.
The OCPD told reporters that the bodies were taken to the Coast Provincial Hospital morgue.
The three gangsters, whose identities were not established immediately, had been accused of orchestrating crimes in the crime-prone constituency.
A manhunt was launched for the other two.
Gangsters have attacked and killed many people in parts of Mombasa.
In April, Six panga-wielding criminals who had promised to kill in Majengo were arrested.
A video had surfaced online of the youths in their early 20s issuing the threat.
Majengo is notorious for criminals who stab their victims and loot. Their operations have extended to Old Town where they rob tourists and kill those who defy their orders.
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