City employee won’t face charges following fatal shooting at Lawrence City Hall
A city employee accused of fatally shooting a man at Lawrence City Hall in January will not face charges relating to the incident, according to the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office.
Omar Dominguez Gavilan, 28, forced his way into Lawrence City Hall on Jan. 5 through a locked door, before proceeding to the fourth floor, near the city manager’s office, where he was fatally shot by an employee after a physical altercation .
After completing a comprehensive review of the incident, Douglas County District Attorney Dakota Loomis said no criminal charges would be filed against the security officer that fatally shot Dominguez Gavilan.
Loomis said evidence showed the man “acted as the aggressor,” failing to follow orders, constituting reasonable use of force by the city employee, according to the document.
The district attorney also cited Kansas’ “no duty to retreat” statute, which says use of deadly force may be justified if it may prevent “imminent death or great bodily harm.”
Loomis released a nearly 10-page account of the incident along with his ruling.
Report says man was acting ‘abnormally’ before city hall shooting
On Jan. 4, three Kansas Highway Patrol troopers stopped at a McDonald’s in the Lawrence Service Area near Interstate 70, according to the summary.
Just after 7 p.m., the troopers said they saw a man, who identified himself as Dominguez Gavilan, acting “abnormally,” allegedly harassing employees and “banging on the walls inside the service station,” the summary said.
The troopers said they told Dominguez Gavilan he could not “loiter” at the station, and offered him a ride, which he accepted, to the Lawrence Amtrak station at 413 East 7th St., according to the summary.
Throughout the conversation, troopers said that Dominguez Gavilan was “sweating profusely” despite the 46 degree temperature. The man would allegedly “break into song and dance before returning to speaking normally to the troopers.”
Just after 7:30 a.m. the next morning, a municipal court employee opened a locked door at Lawrence City Hall, allowing Dominguez Gavilan to come inside, “due to the cold temperature,” the summary said.
Staff asked Dominguez Gavilan to wait inside for the court to open at 7:45 a.m., the summary said. An employee discovered him in the basement minutes later, and informed him he was in an area restricted to public access until 8 a.m.
The report alleges Dominguez Gavilan “became agitated and began yelling” at the employee. The pair eventually returned to the first floor, where Dominguez Gavilan reportedly asked a second employee several times about a “young thing brunette.”
The employee allegedly told Dominguez Gavilan they had relayed his message, “in an attempt to deescalate the situation,” the report said. The employee said the man thanked them in a “deeper and more menacing voice.”
Dominguez Gavilan reportedly continued to attempt to get into the building’s basement, the summary said. He eventually followed an employee into a stairwell, where he traveled to the fourth floor.
An employee on the fourth floor said she saw Dominguez Gavilan in the stairwell, “screaming in Spanish” and gesturing for her to open the stairwell door, the report said. The employee called the municipal court, during which Dominguez Gavilan reportedly began to strike the stairwell’s door and window.
While walking to her office, another employee noticed broken glass, and said she saw Dominguez Gavilan attempting to open the stairwell door, which he eventually did successfully, the report said. She fled down a staircase, where she told the first two municipal court employees about the incident.
The two employees found Dominguez Gavilan had entered an office on the fourth floor, the summary said. The pair separated, and Dominguez Gavilan left the office, walking toward the city manager’s office.
There, one of the employees attempted to detain Dominguez Gavilan, the summary said. The employee attempted to move the man’s arm behind his back, and Dominguez Gavilan allegedly “pulled his arm away and spun to face” the employee.
The employee told Dominguez Gavilan to get on the ground, placing a hand on his chest “to keep the distance between them,” the summary said. Dominguez Gavilan allegedly “shoved” the employee into the elevator doors.
In response, the employee kicked Dominguez Gavilan, which “did not faze” the man, the summary said. The employee drew a firearm, and Dominguez Gavilan reportedly “swatted at the gun with his left hand,” charged toward the man and punched his cheek.
The employee attempted to retreat down the hallway, where Dominguez Gavilan allegedly shoved him into a glass display case, the summary said. The report said Dominguez Gavilan kept reaching for the employee’s gun.
The employee fired three rounds, two of which struck Dominguez Gavilan, the summary said. The man “continued to attack” the employee, before he stumbled and fell backward. He stood back up and the pair continued to scuffle, during which the employee fired a second round, which did not strike Dominguez Gavilan.
Both men eventually ended up on the ground, the report said, and when Dominguez Gavilan attempted to stand back up, he collapsed.
The second employee returned and took the employee’s firearm, the summary said. Both that employee and a corporal with the Lawrence Police Department rendered aid to Dominguez Gavilan before medical personnel could arrive.
Dominguez Gavilan died at the scene, the report said. The employee involved in the incident had “facial redness, bruising to the thigh and knee, and lacerations and micro-abrasions on his hands.” The man also complained of pain in his hands and thumbs.
Two employees said they overheard the altercation, including the employee attempting to take Dominguez Gavilan into custody, according to the report.
An autopsy indicated Dominguez Gavilan suffered injuries to his heart, left and right lungs, the report said. A coroner concluded methamphetamine, marijuana and amphetamine were present in Dominguez Gavilan’s blood at the time of his death.
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 7:09 PM.
