KCPD: Officer fired single shot during standoff that ended in armed man’s death
A Kansas City police officer fired one shot during a standoff early Thursday, ultimately killing an armed man allegedly high on illegal drugs, a police department spokesman said during a news conference.
Dozens of officers responded to the scene after a family member of the man, who was identified by police as Richard Davis, 29, called police and said the man had been smoking PCP for several days and had a gun, Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said.
“A situation like this, we never hope for this ending,” Becchina said. “We would only use deadly force in a situation where our lives or someone else’s lives are in imminent danger and that was the case last night, unfortunately.”
Police tried to disarm Davis with less lethal beanbag rounds before the shooting, Becchina said.
The incident began about 11 p.m. Wednesday when a female family member called police and said Davis was armed, under the influence of drugs and might be experiencing a mental health crisis, Becchina said.
When police arrived at the home in the 6900 block of Askew Avenue, Davis ran away armed with a pistol. Becchina said one officer stayed with the woman at the home because she feared he would try to kill her.
Police dogs and a drone unit were called in to help locate Davis, who officers eventually found and surrounded in the 6800 block of Indiana Avenue. Davis was found in a backyard behind a home two streets east and one block south of the original call.
A standoff ensued, and police tried to disarm Davis by firing less lethal beanbag rounds at him, but that was ineffective, Becchina said.
“So this person’s now gone into a neighborhood where people are asleep, in their homes where they should feel safe,” Becchina said. “It’s our responsibility to ensure that safety. So somebody walking around in an agitated state, potentially intoxicated, with a gun is something that — we can’t let that happen.”
Tactical officers and negotiators responded to the scene, trying to convince Davis to surrender. All of the negotiators, Becchina said, are certified in crisis intervention, which is designed to improve how police and people with mental illnesses interact. Becchina said more than 50 percent of KCPD’s patrol officers are certified.
Davis, Becchina said, tried repeatedly to get into the back of a home.
Police focused on containing Davis’s movements, Becchina said. Officers would move as Davis moved.
About 1:40 a.m., Davis pointed his gun at multiple officers. One officer shot him firing a single bullet, Becchina said. The standoff had lasted about an hour.
Officers moved in and removed the pistol from Davis’s grip so emergency medical workers could give him aid. He was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and died a short time later, Becchina said.
Paula Jones said she was not home when the shooting occurred in her backyard.
“I don’t like the aura or the feeling of someone expiring in the shooting,” she said.
She believes she left shortly before the incident began. When she returned Thursday morning, police were blocking the street and yellow crime scene tape surrounded her home. She was brought to a detective who told her what happened.
She said the deadly shooting was unusual for the quiet neighborhood, where most residents are retirees.
“It’s not a pleasant feeling,” she said.
Becchina said police don’t change their response based on if someone is intoxicated: They respond based on the person’s actions.
Becchina said there was no body camera footage from the shooting. No officers were injured.
KCPD’s Homicide Unit and the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office will investigate the shooting. Prosecutors decide if criminal charges will be filed.
The officer who fired their weapon is on paid administrative leave, as is usual in such cases.
Davis’s death is Kansas City’s 17th homicide of the year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. This compares to nine homicides by this time in 2019. Last year’s homicide total neared an all-time record for the city.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 12:54 PM.
