Lenexa police said Tuesday that an officer shot the man during a physical struggle while responding to a reported domestic disturbance. The Johnson County Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigative Team is investigating, with Merriam police serving as the host agency.
A woman who identified herself as the man’s fiancée told the Johnson County Post that an officer approached him from behind and that he was unarmed. Her account has not been independently verified.
Lenexa police gave a different version to TV stations Monday night. Officer Danny Chavez, a department spokesperson, told the Kansas City Star that the first officer to arrive encountered the man outside the apartment and that a "physical struggle" followed. During that struggle, the officer fired his department-issued weapon, Chavez said.
Officers had responded to the same apartment about an hour earlier, around 6:20 p.m., for a disturbance call, according to the Star. They were called back just after 7:30 p.m., according to KSHB.
Online call logs reviewed by the Post showed police were dispatched to 11907 W. 77th Terrace, in The Reserve at 77 Apartment Homes, at 7:33 p.m. for a reported physical disturbance. Officers from six neighboring agencies were dispatched to assist three minutes later. Med-Act paramedics were called at 7:40 p.m. for a gunshot wound.
The man was transported by ambulance just after 8 p.m. and remained in police custody at the hospital, according to Med-Act radio traffic.
The fiancée spoke with investigators near the apartment complex entrance for about an hour, the Post reported. She was later taken to a different hospital in stable condition for a possible wrist and hand injury from what was described as a "prior altercation."
The officer was also taken to a hospital for a precautionary evaluation but was not believed to have been injured, KSHB reported.
Because the shooting involved deadly force, OICIIT was activated. The Merriam Police Department is serving as the host agency for the investigation. Under OICIIT protocol, the involved agency observes but does not participate in the investigation, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's Office webpage describing the team.
At the scene Monday night, a Post reporter observed crime scene tape surrounding the apartment building and a crime lab technician using 3D laser-scanning equipment to create a forensic diagram of the area.
Once the investigation is complete, the Johnson County District Attorney's Office will determine whether the officer's use of force was lawful under Kansas law. Anyone with information can contact the Merriam Police Department at 913-322-5560 or the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.
