Man fatally shot by Clay County deputy was armed during altercation, police say
A man fatally shot Monday by a Clay County sheriff’s deputy was armed with a gun during the altercation that led to the shooting outside a motel north of Randolph, police said Tuesday.
The shooting occurred about 4:15 p.m. in the parking lot of a Motel 6 in the 3600 block of North Randolph Road. The deputy was conducting a car check and became involved in an altercation with the man, according to the Kansas City Police Department.
In an initial statement, police said the deputy was “forced into using lethal force,” though it was unclear what exactly unfolded. Police on Tuesday said the man was armed.
The slain man has not been identified.
It remained unclear why the man’s vehicle was initially stopped. The deputy was interviewed by Kansas City police detectives, who were investigating the shooting.
While at the motel, investigators discovered inside the man’s vehicle two suspicious items police at the time described as possible explosive devices, according to Capt. Tim Hernandez, a police spokesman. It was later determined the devices found were not explosives.
