He always goes for them with merciless brutality. But on Saturday it was his turn. They came for him but he was lucky to survive.
Nairobi’s most feared crime buster Ahmed Rashid was on Saturday attacked by suspected thugs along Juja Road.
According to a police report seen by the Star, the officer was attacked at about 7.30am opposite Oilibya petrol station while on a mission to "flush out a gang of four robbers in the area."
"It happened that no. 79249 Sgt Ahmed Rashid was leading a team of officers in an operation to flush out a gang of four which was terrorizing members of the public when they unsuspectedly bumped into the gang," the report reads.
This is the first time that the Kenya Police Service has owned Rashid after repeatedly and publicly denying he was one of them.
Former police boss Joseph Boinnet was the first to disown the officer late last year when appearing on a live television interview.
He has been accused of cold-blooded execution of suspects he has cornered in slums in the city rather than arresting them.
Ranking police officers shy away from discussing his conduct when asked, preferring to deny his existence.
The crime report recorded at Pangani police station under number OB31/28/9/2019 shows the gang hit the officer on his right hand with a metal bar.
He then "fell on the ground and sustained injuries on the right hand palm, left elbow and on the right knee.
“The injured officer was rushed to Radiant Hospital where he was treated and discharged in fair condition,” the report said.
The report said the gang members who police believe were armed with a gun fled to the Kosovo area of Mathare slums after the incident.
Four robbery with violence suspects were gunned down by the police in the same area after the attack on Rashid. It was not clear whether they were the same ones who had attacked the officer.
But this was the first time the controversial ruthless crime buster escaped death by a whisker.
Last year, he almost got shot dead when he was involved in an exchange of fire with suspects. Three suspects died in the confrontation.
The officer only sustained a shot wound on on his left thumb and was rushed to hospital where he was treated and discharged.
Rashid is notorious for killing suspects, attracting widespread condemnation from rights activists.
