Family denied access to see kin shot by police, as officers insist he is a criminal

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A police officer engaging suspected criminals in a past shoot out. A report by civil activists shows that 107 people were killed by police in 2019 PHOTO: COURTESY.

Mombasa, KENYA: A 17-year-old suspect who was shot by police on the neck in Kongowea area on Monday was part of criminal gang robbing residents, police said.

The suspect Anwar Hassan is admitted at Coast General hospital in Mombasa.

Kisauni police chief Christopher Rotich told Baraka FM on Tuesday that the officers were answering a distress call from one of the residents and when the officers arrived they engaged the suspects as seven others ran away.

The family members have however refuted police claims saying their kin was an innocent boy and  had just completed form four last year awaiting to go to college.

Hamza Kombo, who is the suspect’s cousin, said the boy was just fighting with other boys who had robbed him off his cell phone but when police arrived, they shot at him without investigating the matter.

“He is a good boy everyone knows him,he is not a thief. Police shot him and now they have labelled him as a criminal part of a gang armed with a machete,” said Hamza.

“We understand that he has a  bullet is lodged in his neck, we have tried to even go and see him but police are chasing us,” he added.

The police boss said the suspect will be arraigned in court as soon as he gets well.

“He is  part of a gang terrorizing residents in the area. We are waiting for him to recover and he will be arraigned in court,” said police boss.

The incident comes as Independent Police Oversight Authority launched it’s offices in Mombasa, to effectively deliver services to Coast residents

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