A senior police officer told the Court how he ordered an injured man to be rushed to a hospital after he and a businesswoman were shot by his juniors.
Chief Inspector Moses Shikuku said he ordered the man – Bernard Chege rushed to hospital but the woman’s body “seemed lifeless” when he got at the scene of the crime.
Police Constables William Chirchir and Godfrey Kirui are on trial over the death of Janet Waiyaki.
Waiyaki was shot dead at City Park in Parklands area, in May 2018. She was with her nephew Chege at the time of the shooting.
The two had parked at City Park on that Sunday morning when police approached their car and shot at them.
The court heard that PC Kirui shot four times while his co-accused fired seven times.
Testifying before trial judge Stella Mutuku, Chief Inspector Moses Shikuku, then Officer Commanding Station at Parklands told the court that police were deployed in the area following a terror alert.
“At about 10 am I was called by duty officer who informed me that there had been an incident within the City Park area. I immediately proceeded to City Park and found officers who had come from a different area to help us,” Shikuku testified.
The officer, who is currently in charge of traffic in Kasarani Sub County said he found the injured persons still inside in the car.
“When I arrived, I saw a black fielder. The officers who briefed me when I arrived told me that they were patrolling near the market area and a member of the public told them there was a suspicious vehicle,” Shikuku told the court.
Further, Shikuku said the officers informed him that when they approached the vehicle, they realized it had tinted windows and that it drove off when they tried to ask the occupants to come out.
Another officer, David Maina, now the Transmara Sub-County Police Commander – said the officers involved in the shooting ought to have cautioned the occupants of the car before shooting.
Maina said he was not aware whether the officers involved in the shooting shouted or if they asked the two to stop before shooting.
He said that when he talked to the accused, they told him they thought they were robbers.
“They told me that when they approached the car, they ordered the two occupants to alight, but the driver tried to drive off and because they did not know who was in the car they fired at the vehicle.”
Maina said the vehicle was still at the scene when he arrived at City Park.
He said the businesswoman and her nephew were then taken to Avenue Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Chege was in critical condition.
When questioned further by the victims’ lawyer if he saw any deflated tires, Maina said he did not see any.
His response contradicted that of Shikuku who testified that officers had decided to shoot at the vehicle to deflate it and managed to deflate one of the tires.
In his testimony, Shikuku also talked to Bernard who informed him that he was passing time with his aunt when the officers shot at them.
Said Shikuku; “the woman was on the back seat and she looked seemingly lifeless. I ordered the victims to be taken to hospital.”
The hearing continues.