The family of a 25-year-old man shot and killed by Lenexa Police last summer has filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit naming the city and two officers for the first time.
The estate of Jose Enrique Cartagena Chacon of Grandview, Missouri, filed the suit June 26, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Johnson County Post. The lawsuit names the City of Lenexa, Officer Nicholas Gaul, Officer Alexander Clark and other "unknown officers" as defendants.
It is the first time the two officers involved in the shooting have been publicly identified. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe did not name them when he ruled their use of force justified in October 2025.
What the lawsuit alleges
Chacon was asleep in his car in the parking lot of the Lenexa Crossing Apartments, 12445 W. 97th Terrace, when officers approached around 3 a.m. on June 22, 2025, the lawsuit states. Officers had responded to a 911 call relayed through an interpreter from a Spanish-speaking woman who reported a man pointing a handgun at her boyfriend.
The lawsuit alleges officers drew their weapons, shined a flashlight into Chacon's eyes and shouted commands in English without identifying themselves as police. Chacon "hardly understood" English, the suit states. According to the filing, Officer Gaul yelled "I'm going to shoot you right now!" before firing eight rounds in succession. The entire encounter from the officers' arrival at the car window to the shooting lasted roughly 10 seconds, based on body camera footage described in the suit.
Investigators later determined the gun in Chacon's hand was an unloaded CO2-powered pellet gun. It was not a firearm.
Chacon was transported by Johnson County Med-Act to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Nine counts, jury trial demanded
The lawsuit cites nine counts under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, including excessive deadly force, unlawful seizure, failure to intervene, assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and indemnification. The family is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, attorneys' fees and a jury trial.
Chacon's mother, Dora A. Cartagena Chacon, serves as court-appointed administrator of the estate. Kansas City attorney Matthew Quinn represents the family.
DA's earlier ruling
On Oct. 9, 2025, Howe announced he would not bring charges against the officers after an investigation by the Johnson County Officer Involved Critical Incident Investigative Team, which includes officers from multiple agencies across the county.
"You heard both officers screaming at a very high tone to not touch the gun, to drop it and put your hands up. None of those warnings were complied with, unfortunately, and it resulted in the unfortunate death of Mr. Cartagena [Chacon]," Howe said when he announced his findings.
The lawsuit directly challenges that conclusion, alleging Chacon never took any action that would justify deadly force.
What's next
Neither officer has been charged with a crime or removed from the Lenexa Police Department, according to the lawsuit. The City of Lenexa declined to comment because litigation is pending.
No court date has been set as of Aug. 20. The case is assigned to District Judge Holly L. Teeter and Magistrate Judge Angel D. Mitchell.
