MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: Suspect takes to his heels from Kabwe court
Sensing that his stay in police custody over two charges of alleged stock theft could be a passage to his incarceration, a 22-year-old farmer of Ngabwe yesterday bolted from Kabwe Magistrates Court before his mission failed.
The suspect, James Katini, who was arrested on October 1 this year, could not be deterred by three warning gunshots fired by police officers who pursued him.
Katini, who is jointly charged with Moffat Kafunya, was among suspects who appeared before Kabwe Magistrates Court yesterday.
Police officers, court officials and some drivers who witnessed the escape of Katini narrated how he attempted to flee from justice around 12:00 hours.
After appearing before magistrate Liswaniso Wamundila for mention, Katini and Mafunya were taken back to the holding cell at the court pending their return to the police station.
However, when they were being led to a police truck, Katini had other plans.
Before the police knew it, the suspect ran out of the magistrate court premises into Munkoyo Road and headed in the central business district.
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“When we were putting them in the Kasalanga (police truck) in groups of five, he [Katini] pushed those in front of him. When his friends fell, he sprinted,” the source said in an interview.
A police officer and some people at the court premises gave chase, of which warning shots were also fired in the air but the suspect soldiered on with the escape mission.
As he ran towards Shoprite, the number of people pursuing him increased amid shouting of “thief, thief” but this did not deter Katini from freeing himself.
Some drivers at Shoprite who witnessed the incident said in separate interviews that they watched a relentless Katini run past them.
“We heard about three gunshots and we then saw someone running in our direction,” one driver said.
He said when Katini reached near them, he begged them not to catch him.
After running a distance of about 300 metres, Katini’s mission failed as he was apprehended.
Zambia Daily Mail
