On November 20, 2018, detectives in Thika shot and killed a man they said was part of a four-member gang that had kidnapped a family and held them hostage in Thika West.
According to police, the suspects opened fire when officers responded to a distress call. The detectives returned fire, fatally injuring one of the men while the other three escaped.
#Robbery |1 man who was in a group of about 4 robbers holding a family hostage in Thika West, was early today fatally injured by Detectives. The robbers started firing at the officers who had responded to the distress call- prompting them to fire back.3escaped & are being pursued. pic.twitter.com/YfOQKRYZnP — DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) November 20, 2018
Police did not give details about the family that was allegedly kidnapped, including how long they had been held hostage. It also remained unclear whether the gang had made any ransom demand.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations said the three escaped suspects were being pursued.
