Controversial videos tend to get viral pretty quick on social media and in this iteration, it is a video of a scene between an alleged British Pilot and a Kenyan policewoman.
BRITISH Pilot caught on camera ASSAULTING a lady cop as DP @WilliamsRuto attended a church service Nyandarua Sunday pic.twitter.com/aOdJrMDCdh
— tycoonews (@TYCOONEWS) February 22, 2016
This incident happened when the Deputy President was attending a function in Nyandarua. The pilot confronted the policewoman where he wanted her to make sure the public does not get near the helicopter. The pilot was not clearly pleased with her work and went ahead to assault her and the public watching condemned his actions.
When this video was posted on Twitter, everybody condemned the pilots actions and the leading trending topic as of now is #DeportRutosPilot. Kenyans on Twitter condemned his actions where they wanted him to be charged, arrested and some even suggested to be deported just like the hashtag title.
He should be charged like any other ordinary citizen and we shall be waiting to see him in court #DeportRutosPilot https://t.co/EwO1Oun935
— Hesham Hassan (@heshamkeeni) February 23, 2016
Why don't we deport both of them William Ruto to Uganda and this mzungu pilot to wherever he came from. #DeportRutosPilot
— Hassan (@Bgm254) February 23, 2016
Also, people condemned the people who are featured in the video for not helping the policewoman from the attack.
#DeportRutosPilot its so sad that a foreigner can come & harass one of our own more so a lady cop in kenya & yet we stand aside and watch.
— Kool Mundu🙂 (@binkuki) February 23, 2016
Those Nyandarua men are useless no wonder their women whip them how do you just stand there and watch her being assaulted #DeportRutosPilot
— Bel Akinyi (@BelAkinyii) February 23, 2016
There has been a development in this case where there has been a release from the Office of the Inspector General about the incident. It says that the “Inspector General of Police, Mr. Joseph Boinnet has ordered investigations with immediate effect and commencement of criminal proceedings against the suspect.”
PRESS RELEASE pic.twitter.com/cLl8cPktUo
— National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) February 23, 2016
It is also reported that the Deputy President has asked for investigations against his pilot over the incident.
https://twitter.com/KTNKenya/status/702011120824016896
This is one of those cases where social media shines: Delivering breaking news and especially on Twitter. This later on trickles down on to the traditional media and has been the case for a while. We only have to wait and see how this incident will be handled and reported on the various social networks later on.
[Update] According to reports on Twitter, the pilot (now revealed as Mr. Alistair Patrick Llewelyn) has been fired from the company he was working for.
KIDL which operate helicopter 5Y-DSN terminates services of pilot Alistair Llewelyn after altercation with lady cop pic.twitter.com/lQQY1aBnRd
— Rob N Jillo (@robjillo) February 23, 2016