KCPD officer shot in head nearly two weeks ago now in stable condition, police say
The Kansas City police officer who was shot in the head nearly two weeks ago is now in stable condition, according to the Kansas City Police Department.
KCPD spokesman Sgt. Jake Becchina said the officer’s condition was upgraded to stable Tuesday morning. He had been in critical condition since the July 2 shooting.
The officer isn’t intubated anymore, Becchina said in an email, but now has a tracheostomy which still assists his breathing.
“Doctors are monitoring continued progression in neurological function and responsiveness,” Becchina said.
His assessed pain remains at comfortable levels and his vital signs are normal, Becchina said.
On July 2, police responded to a McDonald’s near 31st Street and Van Brunt Boulevard to a report that a man was waving a gun. Police chased the suspect when he fled on foot.
The suspect turned and shot at the officers, striking one, before a second officer fired back and killed the suspect, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The officer, who hasn’t been publicly identified, had emergency surgery that night. He was the second officer shot and injured in Kansas City that day.
The family of the suspect, Ky Johnson, has said Johnson was having a mental health crisis.
Gun violence will be the subject of a new, statewide journalism project The Star is undertaking in Missouri this year in partnership with the national service program Report for America and sponsored in part by Missouri Foundation for Health. As part of this project, The Star will seek the community’s help.
To contribute, visit Report for America online at reportforamerica.org.
