Nsanje man grabs police gun, shot dead

A police officer in Nsanje yesterday shot dead a man who grabbed a gun from him.

Both Nsanje Police Station officer-in-charge Kirby Kaunga and Nsanje District Hospital spokesperson Felix Simbe confirmed the death of Chodrey Michael, 31, who was suspected to be mentally unstable.

Kaunga said the police officer who shot Michael, Tengani Police Unit officer-in-charge Francis Mkandawire, was acting in self-defence.

He said the deceased went to the house of the police officer where he asked for a talk.

Said Kaunga: “Mkandawire advised Michael to have the talk at the office, but he became violent and started stabbing him.  Michael grabbed a rifle from Mkandawire and run for about 100 metres.

“Mkandawire ran after Michael, seized back the gun and shot him in the thigh as a way of protecting himself.”

Kaunga insisted that there was nothing Mkandawire could have done to protect himself, especially after he sustained cuts in the body.

A source at the hospital said Michael had earlier demanded money from a medical assistant at Tengani.

“He threatened the medical assistant with the knife and the medical assistant had to borrow the money from neighbours,” said the source. n