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He was rushed to the nearby St Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
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Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they are investigating the incident.
A police officer was shot and killed during a confrontation with a mob that wanted to free a group of touts in Kasarani, Nairobi
Police said constable Mohamed Happi was among a group of officers who had been arresting rioters touts at Hunters on Monday evening.
They targeted the group for not wearing uniforms while on duty.
In the process of the operation, a mob converged at the site and demanded the release of those arrested.
Police said it was that a gunshot was heard only for those present to realize Happi had been shot in the head.
The bullet went through the forehead and exited at the back, police said.
He was rushed to the nearby St Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The arrested touts were released after the drama, police said.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they are investigating the incident.
He said preliminary findings show the officer was shot at close range.
“We are investigating how this happened. We have lost an officer and it is tragic,” he said.
A team of detectives visited the scene of the shooting on Tuesday as part of the probe into the same.
As part of the probe into the shooting, all officers who were present at the scene and were armed have been ordered to surrender their weapons for ballistic tests.
Police want to establish if the killer bullet could have been a friendly fire, officials said.
This is the latest death of a police officer in the last week alone where up to four have died in separate incidents.
One died in Nyeri in a suspected suicide, one was stabbed in Tarasaa, Tana River, and another in Siaya.
Police say the incidents are under probe.
Elsewhere, police are investigating the murder of a man whose body was found in an open ground in Kitengela, Kajiado.
The body had visible injuries in the head when it was discovered on Monday night, police said.
According to police, blood was oozing from the mouth, ears, and nose of the body.
The cause of the death is yet to be known.
The body was moved to the mortuary pending autopsy.