Man dies after Northland home caught fire and police had surrounded it in standoff
A Northland home caught on fire on Thursday evening after several hours of a tactical standoff between Kansas City police and an armed person thought to be experiencing mental health concerns.
Officers responded to the 11500 block of North Cherry Street on Thursday afternoon in response to concern about a potential suicide risk, according to Capt. Jake Becchina, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson.
When they arrived, officers spoke with the man inside the house and tried to get him to exit, Becchina said. The man refused to come out, after which police heard several rounds of gunfire from inside the home.
Police believed him to be the only person in the home.
After several failed attempts to get the man to come outside unarmed, officers upgraded the situation to an ‘Operation 100,’ a form of police standoff involving additional units and trained negotiators.
A nearby school was placed on lockdown Thursday afternoon, following a “lock and teach” procedure where classes continue. Students were safely evacuated from the school at dismissal time by staff and Clay County Sheriff’s Office personnel, according to Becchina.
Officers reported hearing several more rounds of gunfire inside the house thorughout the afternoon, Becchina said. Around 4:40 p.m., officers became aware of a small fire within the house.
Attempts to convince the man to leave the house remained unsuccessful as the fire spread, according to Becchina. Firefighters arrived shortly after to spray water on the fire. However, the fire raged until about 8:45 p.m., when police cleared the backyard of debris after searching for the main via drone video.
Fire personnel were still attempting to extinguish the fire from the backyard as of 9:45 p.m., when the man was found deceased near the front of the burning residence.
He was the only one in the house.
This story was originally published November 7, 2024 at 5:37 PM.
