Hundreds celebrate fallen KCK deputy Elijah Ming at memorial: ‘A mighty warrior’

The Monday morning of Elijah Ming’s memorial service started out gloomy and grey. The sky was covered by clouds as a light, steady rain pitter-pattered outside and inside Children’s Mercy Park.

The professional soccer stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, hosted Ming’s family and friends and more than 100 uniformed law enforcement personnel, all with commemorative black stripes across their badges or blue ribbons, to publicly honor the life of the slain Wyandotte County sheriff’s deputy.

Ming was killed in the line of duty on July 26 when he was dispatched for a call for service. Authorities said Ming was shot while approaching a home in the Argentine neighborhood of Kansas City, Kansas, and died from his injuries after being transported to a local hospital.

But by the time Ming’s coffin was rolled out by eight pallbearers to two long rows of saluting law enforcement personnel, the sun’s bright light beamed down onto the stadium; reminiscent of another bright light, as Ming’s personality was often described by loved ones, that will be greatly missed.

“We are here to speak about the brother, the older brother, the son, the father, the nephew, the friend,” family representative Miranda Ming said during the service. “He loved to teach, to lead, but he was humble enough to defer to those he respected. He was a protector. He was bold, he was confident. He was unshaken. He didn’t care what outsiders thought, and that goal led him to this career.”

Ming spent nearly nine years with the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, serving as a training officer and acting sergeant in addition to being a deputy.

At 6’3, 200 pounds, Ming played college baseball at Fort Scott Community College and obtained an associate’s degree before attending Wayne State. He married his middle school sweetheart, Tiara, in 2018 with whom he had a son that will carry his memory, Elijah Ming II, known to loved ones as Deuce.

The fallen sheriff’s deputy received the traditional fallen first responder treatment for his homegoing service. American flags and Blue Lives Matter flags lined the streets outside the stadium. Flags across the state of Kansas flew at half-staff. Law enforcement, some from as far as Memphis, Tennessee, and elected officials from both states in the Kansas City metro paid their respects.

A pipe band played as Wyandotte County sheriff deputies, Ming’s family and a color guard walked onto the field while service officiant Pastor Everett Fletcher, also Ming’s cousin, read several Bible passages while others sat in the stands. Gospel songs like “I Could Only Imagine” and “Take Me to the King” were passionately performed.

Speakers including Fletcher, Wyandotte County Sheriff Daniel Soptic and Paseo Baptist Church lead pastor LaRon Thompson echoed Ming’s impact on his community and the sacrifice he made being killed in action.

A video screen in the corner of the stadium played a loop of pictures and videos of some of Ming’s biggest smiles: with family, in college, in weddings, in the community, winning awards, in uniform.

Speakers at the memorial didn’t speak to the circumstances behind Ming’s death, opting to focus on the memories they had with him and how he helped uplift people around him.

“Elijah was a mighty man. He was a mighty warrior,” said eulogist Rev. Dr. Barry Settle. Ming told Settle that he was going to marry his wife Tiara when he was younger, Settle said. “... he overpowered us with his smile, with his presence, how he excelled in his kindness and gentleness, and how he was strong in empathy and compassion for humanity. That’s one of the things I’ll remember most about Elijah was his mightiness in these areas of his life.”

‘Served with authority’

Ming was responding to a call for service around 3:30 p.m. on July 26 in the 2600 block of South 30th Street with other law enforcement officials to help an individual move items out of a residence.

A man later identified as Shawn Harris, 38, confronted Ming from inside the house and opened fire, striking Ming, according to a news release from the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department. Kansas City, Kansas police officers and Wyandotte County deputies exchanged gunfire with Harris before the man barricaded himself inside the home, police chief Karl Oakman previously told The Star.

Harris was charged in Wyandotte County Monday with capital murder and criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is being held in the Johnson County Detention Center on a $2 million bond. The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office will seek the death penalty if Harris is convicted of capital murder.

For the criminal possession of a weapon charge, Harris faces 7 to 23 months in prison. Harris has a lengthy criminal history in Kansas and Missouri, and was released from custody just last year, completing his post-release supervision requirements in December. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating all aspects of the shooting.

In his brief remarks, Soptic thanked Ming’s family for sharing him with the department, stating that he was an example for all of law enforcement to follow.

“He stood firm in his beliefs and his convictions. He didn’t look down, but instead, he saw a vulnerable person that needed help,” Soptic said. “He served with authority and compassion, which is exactly what I expect from every law enforcement officer.”

‘Built different’

Ming’s death came at a painful time for him and his family. Ming’s mother, Sonji Ming, died 11 days prior, according to relatives.

Mark Ming, Ming’s father, shared on social media that his son was a “miracle baby”, born three months premature at 1 lb., 9 oz.

“I loved him then with tubes and monitors connected to him, “ the older Ming said. “And after they gave me and my family this horrible news,” he said, referring to Saturday’s shooting, “I saw him once again with tubes and monitors attached at 6’3 200lbs.

“But still my baby boy. I love you son take care of your brother and your mom she needed you more than me.”

Ming was a doting older brother with two brothers and three sisters. According to Miranda Ming, that kind of connection runs in the family.

“Once you connect with a Ming, you are always connected,” Miranda Ming said. “They will change your life: the way they love, the way they laugh, the way they care.”

She recounted Ming’s connection with his wife and how they were planning their seventh wedding anniversary. How Ming comforted his mother, who was battling cancer, by talking with her about anime and visiting Japan. How he excelled at several sports, in addition to baseball, and was coached and inspired by his father.

“He kept us all grounded,” Ming said. “Even when Elijah did not agree or understand the personalities, the music, the TV shows and the social media posts, Elijah always embraced each and every one of us fully. He carried heavy responsibilities, but he never let his brothers feel the weight. That is what made him the ultimate man.”

At the end of the service, Mark Ming was handed the folded flag given to family members of fallen law enforcement as two trumpets played “Taps” in front of saluting personnel. Kansas Highway Patrol flew three helicopters over the stadium in tribute. Seven guns fired off three rounds of ammunition in a gun salute. A final call, thanking Ming for his courage and sacrifice over scanner traffic, was made.

A procession, roughly 30 minutes after the service, saw long American flags hoisted from local first responders from bridges along I-435 South. Dozens lined up with American flags near the end of the procession in downtown KCK.

While Ming’s loved ones mourn, Settle’s eulogy encouraged them to grieve and express their emotions so God can heal them. And the Ming family is doing that as they keep the fallen deputy’s memory alive.

“We will keep reminding the world Ming men are built different,” Miranda Ming said. “They are warriors. They are truly something special. We love you.”

This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 7:01 PM.