Police ‘destroyed my house’
October 15, 2011 is a day that Dr Berric Litunya will not forget in hurry. A man he knew nothing about was killed in his bedroom and his house destroyed beyond description.
A criminal who had killed a police officer forced his way into the house Dr Litunya had just spruced up at the cost of Sh4.2 million, and a five-hour shootout ensued — leaving a mess of blood, broken glass and bullet holes left, right and centre.
Luckily, his son was home to ensure that his mother, sister and two house helps were safely out of the crossfire.
Cocked guns
“It was on a Saturday and my wife Peris, son Richard, daughter Sherry and two house helps were at home,” Dr Litunya explained.
They heard gunshots and saw police officers with cocked guns surrounding their Buruburu Phase Two house. Then there was a knock at the door.
“Someone asked my son to open, but he was hesitant and asked the intruder to move to the window so that he could see him,” Dr Litunya said.
Richard said he saw the intruder and spotted a small gun in his hand and he immediately told everybody in the house to leave through the back door.
Richard was the last one to vacate and he said he saw the strange man force his way into an upstairs bedroom.
Litunya said he was happy his family and the two workers were safe. But he hoped he would one day be compensated for the damages that cost him Sh1.3 million.
He said the family also went through untold psychological torture, while he went into a depression for six months.
When Dr Litunya was informed of the drama, he quickly arrived home to find officers still shooting through his windows and doors.
“I saw the house I had just finished renovating at a cost of Sh4.2 million, being turned into a battle field. The police were shooting aimlessly at a criminal who was in the bedroom upstairs,” he said.
The shootout went on for about five hours before the Recce Unit arrived. The General Service Unit’s special squad, Recce officers went into the house, killed the criminal and dragged the body out in just five minutes.
“The police hired someone to who came and wiped the blood with a dry rag and that was all,” Dr Litunya said.