A 25 year old former firearms criminal turned into a police informer was gunned down by police last week in Kisauni while facing a charge of posseissing a fire armwithout licence.
His gruesome death however has awakened cry over extrajudicial killings due to the manner and place he was killed.
His head was disfigured by the impact of five bullet holes in his body that was lying at Coast Level Five Hospital morgue minutes after he was eliminated.He was shot in the chest and head at Barsheba area on Thursday last week.
On the fateful day, Hassan quarrelled with elder brother Yusuf Hassan, 26, over family property.According to their sister, Fatma Hassan, the deceased and Yusuf argued over the control of the Sh3million house.
The home was built by their grandmother who died six years ago.
The late reportedly stormed the disputed house in the morning and knocked down the gate, sparking fury from the neighbors who alerted the police.
“Yusuf wanted the house sold and proceeds shared but Shee refused,” Fatma said then.
Eyewitnesses said at least five police officers took part in Hassan’s shooting. Some were in civilian clothes.
The law only allows police to use force when their lives or whose they are protecting are in danger. The can either fire at the target or use other possible means to diffuse threats.
But when Hassan was killed, no such threat presented itself, witnesses said.
According to his close associates, Hassan repeatedly said he would one day be killed by the police.
Human rights organisation Muhuri condemned the killing but said it does not dispute the deceased’s past criminal life.
“What we are against is reckless killing. Shee was unarmed when he was brutally gunned down. Police should have arrested him,” rapid response officer Francis Auma said.
The family did not conduct an autopsy.Auma revealed it will be difficult to punish the killer officers in the absence of an autopsy report.