Two robbery suspects killed, OCS injured in dramatic shootout with police at Lavington, Nairobi

GSU's elite squad Recce arrive at scene where suspected

thugs had sought refuge from police officers. 

 November 11th 2013, By Cyrus Ombati

Nairobi, Kenya: Two police officers including the Muthangari OCS in Nairobi were Monday shot and wounded by suspected thugs in a five-hour dramatic chase that saw the involvement of an elite squad from GSU.

Two suspects were killed and three pistols with 22 bullets recovered from them in the drama that happened at a private residence along Mzima Springs Lane in Lavington estate.

It took the reinforcement of at least ten members of GSU’s Recce Squad to bring to an end the drama inside the bedroom of a lavish compound.

The officers arrived after their counterparts asked for specialised police to arrest or kill a suspect who had held them in a siege for hours.

The Muthangari OCS Krop Lipa and a GSU officer were shot and wounded in the incident. Lipa sustained bullet wounds in the hand and stomach while the GSU officer was wounded in the legs and were in stable condition in hospital.

The drama that lasted more than five hours started outside a petrol station along James Gichuru Road where the suspects were spotted driving in two cars.

According to Nairobi police boss Benson Kibue, the gang had planned to attack the petrol station and a bank at the Lavington shopping centre. After they realised they had been spotted they started to escape with police in pursuit.

“One of their cars veered off the road and hit a post before the occupants jumped out and escaped on foot as police pursued them. They later took refuge in a private residence,” said Kibue.

At the residence, one of the suspects was killed by police under a flowerbed where he had hid and a revolver pistol found on him, he said.

The second one ran into a house and held a house help hostage demanding that she locks him inside because police were after him.

The house girl said she told the gunman who was trembling there was a young baby outside that she needed to get and he allowed her to run out.

“I locked him inside and ran out up to the road where I found police trying to locate where he was. I informed them before they tried to get in where the one of them was shot and wounded,” said the maid.

Lipa was shot as he tried to force his way into the house to get the gunman, who police said they suspect is a former police officer.