Man shot by Lawrence police was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, police say

A man shot by Lawrence police shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday was pulled over for an alleged seat belt violation.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office, which is conducting an investigation, said in a news release Wednesday that the man was "uncooperative" and didn't comply with an officer's order to exit his vehicle. He was pulled over in the 100 block of West Sixth Street, about a block from Massachusetts Street.

The man was hospitalized but is in stable condition.

The officer who made the stop was assigned to a special seat belt enforcement initiative, "Click It or Ticket," which runs through Sunday, June 3.

"Officers assigned to this specialized enforcement will be vigorously enforcing seatbelt laws," wrote Lawrence Officer Drew Fennelly in an email to media outlets last week.

Shortly after the traffic stop, a second officer arrived on scene. After the second officer arrived, the driver was "lawfully detained," but he "resisted arrest and a struggle ensued," according to the Johnson County Sheriff's Office release.

"One officer was battered and knocked to the ground where the physical struggle continued. While the driver continued to batter the officer, the backing officer fired a single shot, striking the driver."

The Sheriff's Office did not detail why the man was asked to exit his vehicle or why a second officer responded to the scene.

Paul Nonnast, a spokesman with Johnson County Sheriff's Office, did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday afternoon.

The release made no mention of whether or not the man was armed. The Lawrence Police Department tweeted Tuesday that a knife was recovered at the scene, but "it is unknown if it was involved."

A witness said the driver exited his vehicle with "both fists swinging at the officer," the Lawrence Journal-World reported.

The second officer ran from her patrol vehicle, withdrew her weapon and fired, the witness said.

Officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office is "exhausting all available leads" and asks anyone with information to call detectives at 785-843-0250.

"The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Lawrence Police Department ask for calm as we work diligently to determine the facts of the case."

This story was originally published May 30, 2018 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Man shot by Lawrence police was pulled over for not wearing a seat belt, police say."