A former police officer was on Saturday shot dead by a motorist at Polyview Estate in Kisumu following an argument over parking.
In the 5 am incident, Peter Otieno who operated a matatu business, while leaving for duty found his Nissan Matatu blocked by the motorist and appealed to him to give way.
However according to eye witnesses, the motorist identified as Daniel Jaoko who works as a Manager at a local hotel refused to pull over.
Clinton Otieno, the deceased’s son was called to help pleaded with the suspect to pull over and give way in vain.
“I went to the passenger’s window which was open and pleaded with the man who was visibly drunk to disembark from the vehicle so that I help him give way but he refused,” he said.
Otieno said after several attempts to remove the vehicle, the suspect who was in the company of a middle aged woman disembarked flushed his gun and fired two times.
One of the bullets, he said missed the deceased by a whisker but upon realizing that the man was armed, his attempt to disarm him went awry.
“He started running away then hid in a ditch nearby and when my father reached there the suspect opened fire and shot him three times in the chest,” he said.
“We rushed him to ‘Russia’ Hospital but there was no doctor so we went to Avenue Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival,” he added.
Speaking to KNA, Otieno said the suspect has been involved in similar incidents before but nothing has been done.
“His name is synonymous with gun drama. He once shot and injured a man at a club in Kisumu before shooting another man here at Polyview estate last year,” he said.
Confirming the incident, Kisumu County Police Commander (CPC), Benson Maweu said the suspect who lives in Nyamasaria estate had gone to drop the girlfriend at Polyview.
Police, he said, pursued the suspect and recovered his licensed firearm which was loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition.
Maweu added that police ransacked the suspect’s house in Nyamasaria and recovered 42 more bullets.
He is currently being held at Kondele Police station alongside his girlfriend as police continue with investigations.
The deceased’s family asked the police to ensure that justice is done for the man they described as selfless, law abiding and hardworking.
“He pursued the suspect to stop him from causing harm to innocent lives but lost his life instead. All we want is justice,” said Otieno.
Meanwhile, residents of Polyview estate have accused police of laxity, saying despite many police officers residing in the area, there was no response after the first two shots were fired.
Vincent Odhiambo, a neighbor to the deceased, said if the officers living in the area responded swiftly, the man could have been disarmed.
By Chris Mahandara
