Police fatally shoot armed man allegedly high on PCP after standoff in Kansas City
A Kansas City police officer shot and killed a man who allegedly was high on illegal drugs and had pointed a gun at officers early Thursday, police said.
Prior to the fatal shooting, police had tried to disarm the man with less lethal beanbag rounds, Kansas City Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jacob Becchina said in an email.
The incident began when a family member called police about 11 p.m. Wednesday expressing her concerns about the man, saying he was armed, under the influence of drugs and might be experiencing a mental health crisis, Becchina said.
As police arrived at the home in the 6900 block of Askew Avenue, the man ran away armed with a gun, Becchina said. Officers surrounded the area and attempted to find him. Officers with police dogs and a drone responded to the area to help with the search.
The initial responding officers stayed at the home with the caller for her safety and to gather information. She told police the man allegedly had been smoking PCP for the last several days and she feared he would come back and try to kill her, Becchina said.
After a searching for awhile, police found the man behind some homes in the 6800 block of Indiana Avenue. Officers surrounded the area and a standoff ensued. Officers tried to disarm the man by firing less lethal beanbag rounds at him to get him to drop the gun, but that was ineffective, Becchina said.
Tactical officers and negotiators responded to the standoff and tried to convince the man to surrender. The man, however, allegedly tried several times to get into the rear of a house along Indiana.
About 1:40 a.m. the man pointed his gun at several officers and one of the officers shot him. Officers then moved in and removed the gun from the man’s grip so that emergency medical workers could render aid, Becchina said.
The man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. He died a short time later, Becchina said.
Paula Jones said she was not home when the shooting occurred in her backyard.
“I don’t like the aura or the feeling of someone expiring in the shooting,” she said.
She believes she left shortly before the incident began. When she returned Thursday morning, police were blocking the street and yellow crime scene tape surrounded her home. She was brought to a detective who told her what had happened.
She said the deadly shooting was unusual for the quiet neighborhood made up of mostly retired people live.
“It’s not a pleasant feeling,” she said.
Police continue to investigate the shooting. Detectives and crime scene investigators remained at the scene. Police had blocked off streets in the area while they investigated.
The man’s death is the Kansas City’s 17th homicide of the year, according to data kept by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. This compares to nine homicides by this time in 2019. Last year’s homicide total neared an all-time record for the city.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 6:31 AM.
