NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenyan man who was shot at close range by a police officer during recent protests over a blogger's death in custody has died, his family said Monday.
The family spokesperson, Emily Wanjira, said Boniface Kariuki died on Monday afternoon, a day after doctors at the national referral hospital in Nairobi declared him brain-dead.
An Associated Press photographer captured the moment when the police officer shot Kariuki in the head. Kariuki held a package of face masks and appeared to be a vendor and bystander during the protests over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang.
That death, and the shooting of Kariuki, reignited anger in Kenya over the longstanding issue of police brutality.
Two police officers have been arrested over the shooting of Kariuki on June 17.
Six people, including three police officers, have been charged with the death of Ojwang in custody. An earlier report by police indicated that the blogger banged his head on the wall, but a pathologist’s report refuted the claims that his injuries were self-inflicted.
Human rights groups have long called for action over illegal arrests, detentions and torture of government critics in Kenya. President William Ruto has vowed to end police brutality and said no enforced disappearances would happen during his administration.
But Ruto's interior minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, last week told police to “shoot on sight” anyone who approaches police stations during protests. The order came after five police stations were torched.
Murkomen added that police should not run unless the crowd is bigger than 20 people, citing “orders from above” without giving details.
The Kenya Law Society condemned the remarks, saying it was illegal and “any unjustified use of force would be deemed a premeditated crime.”
ADDS NAME: A Kenyan policeman, center, prepares to shoot vendor Boniface Kariuk, left, during a protest in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)
ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — The big surprise of the World Cup slalom season scored his second win Sunday adding to his fast-rising reputation before the Winter Olympics.
Paco Rassat raced to the fastest time in the second run to rise from fourth place, and push two Norwegians down the podium steps after they had been fastest in the morning run.
United States-born Atle Lie McGrath was edged out by 0.18 seconds and first-run leader Henrik Kristoffersen dropped to third, trailing 0.20 behind Rassat.
The 27-year-old Frenchman had a career-best result of ninth in World Cup races before this Olympic season started.
Rassat now has two wins, a third place and two sixth places this season and shapes as a medal contender for the Milano Cortina Olympics. The men’s slalom is on Feb. 16 at Bormio.
“To win on this crazy hill at Adelboden, It’s something really unbelievable," Rassat told Swiss broadcaster RTS, describing his season as “a magnificent surprise.”
Rassat also took the lead in the seasonlong World Cup slalom standings, ahead of his France teammate Clément Noël, the defending Olympic champion. Noël tied for eighth Sunday.
McGrath was runner-up in the Adelboden slalom for the third time in four years.
“It’s kind of crazy,” said McGrath, whose father Felix skied for the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. “I’m of course super happy, it’s such a challenging slope and mentally it’s one of the toughest places to perform because of this amazing crowd.”
Another packed finish-area crowd at Adelboden observed a minute’s silence before racing for the victims of the fatal fire in a bar in nearby Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day. Crans-Montana hosts men’s and women’s World Cup races in three weeks’ time.
The World Cup overall standings leader, four-time title holder Marco Odermatt, does not ski slalom and his huge lead was cut a little by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who placed fourth. Pinheiro Braathen was second to Odermatt in the classic giant slalom Saturday.
The men’s World Cup circuit stays in central Switzerland for the storied Lauberhorn meeting at Wengen, for a super-G on Friday, the classic downhill Saturday and a slalom Sunday.
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
France's Paco Rassat speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
France's Paco Rassat reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Finland's Eduard Hallberg speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Norway's Atle Lie McGrath speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)
Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)
