Lenexa police chief releases new details after officers shot and killed man at hotel
Early findings from the investigation of a police shooting that took place in a Lenexa hotel allege the Nashville man killed by officers Tuesday morning opened fire upon them after they kicked in the door to his room.
Darren Dejuan Chandler, 34, was killed Tuesday during what has been cast by authorities as an early-morning shootout with police. An investigation is being led by a multi-agency team in Johnson County tasked with reviewing fatal use-of-force cases.
Police were called to the Extended Stay America hotel at 8015 Lenexa Drive after receiving several reports of a disturbance happening in one of the hotel rooms between a man and a woman. After arriving at the hotel, officers obtained an electronic keycard from staff and went to the room where the disturbance was reported.
Officers knocked on the door and announced themselves as police but no one answered, investigators say. The officers were unable to open the door with the keycard because a manual lock was in place, according to investigators, and they kicked the door in to get inside.
“Immediately upon the door being forced open, the officers were fired upon from inside the room,” Lenexa Police Chief Dawn Layman said in a statement Tuesday, summarizing details provided to the department by the county’s shooting investigation team. “All three officers retreated away from the door upon being shot at. Two officers returned fire, and the occupant of the room who had a gun was struck.”
As the investigation of the shooting continues, Layman asked for patience from the community. She said the department, which has no role in the ongoing investigation, does not want to “hinder the investigation by the premature release of evidence or information, including body-worn camera video.”
Layman added that she has been in contact with Chandler’s family and “offered my sincere condolences to them for the loss of their loved one.”
The shooting in Lenexa happened after guests and hotel staff called police after overhearing what appeared to be a violent domestic situation. Police scanner traffic captured some of the tense moments during the encounter, where those calling for help described a man yelling at and possibly hitting a woman.
“A female can be heard screaming in pain,” the dispatcher told officers. “The (reporting party) believes she heard him smack her at least once.”
At another point, an officer can be heard saying “shots fired,” followed by the sound of several gunshots.
No other injuries were reported. Two officers are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
The Star’s Robert A. Cronkleton contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 6:51 PM.
