Johnson County officials say fatal police shooting of Darren Chandler was justified
Two police officers who fatally shot a 34-year-old man inside a suburban Kansas City area hotel room acted in accordance with Kansas law and were justified in using lethal force, Johnson County’s top prosecutor said.
Darren Dejuan Chandler, a resident of the Nashville area, was killed in late May after a shootout with officers Extended Stay America hotel in Lenexa. Police have said they were fired upon after kicking down a hotel room door during a domestic disturbance call.
Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe made the announcement alongside Lenexa Police Chief Dawn Layman Friday morning. Body camera video clips and portions of the investigative file were publicly shared for the first time during a news conference about the findings of the investigation.
“We’re doing this because we want the public to understand the reasons for the officers’ use of force and also to give the sense to the public that the law enforcement officers in this case were justified in their actions and also give faith into the criminal justice system and the processes that we use here in Johnson County,” Howe said before showing the video.
The video is graphic, Howe warned. Faces also were pixelated and the aftermath of the shooting was not shown.
“Unfortunately these events always are tragedies and the life of Darren Chandler was taken as a result of it,” Howe said. “But under Kansas law, the Lenexa officers were justified in their use of deadly force.”
According the summary of facts and findings provided by Howe, several guests at the Extended Stay hotel called the front desk clerk shortly before 5 a.m. on May 25 reporting that they could hear a disturbance between a man and a woman in one of the rooms.
The clerk went to the room and heard a physical altercation occurring. The clerk call 911 and said there was a “very serious domestic disturbance coming from a room.”
According to the summary, the clerk also told dispatchers she heard him scream at her and the woman screaming in pain.
“I’m pretty sure I heard him smack her at least once,” the clerk told dispatchers. She said guests also were calling the front desk and complaining.
Shortly after 5 a.m., Lenexa police officers arrived. Two officers went to the room where they heard Chandler arguing with a woman. One officer described the man as being aggressive and heard the woman say: “please stop.”
The officer pounded on the door and announced: “Police department. Come to the door now.” Chandler began asking questions of the officer.
A third officer went to the front front desk and got a keycard to the room. Once at the room, the officer swiped the keycard repeatedly with the door unlocking on the third try. Another officer pushed the door open, but a lock bar prevented the door from opening.
That officer then kicked in the door until it opened and gunfire erupted from inside the room, according to the summary.
One officer fired his pistol toward the room as he fell backward. The officer who had kicked in the door fell to the ground to find cover and then was dragged to a better position by the third officer who had gotten the keycard.
Chandler then allegedly emerged from the room with a gun in his hand. The third officer shot Chandler, who then dropped the weapon and fell to the ground. He died at the scene.
Crime scene investigators recovered 13 cartridge casings, including seven fired from the pistol of the third officer and two fired from Chandler’s pistol. There were four casings fired from the pistol of the officer who shot toward the room, according to the summary.
An autopsy revealed that Chandler had gunshot wounds to the neck, abdomen, forearm and two to the left leg, according to the summary.
Howe said that the officers reported in their interviews that they were concerned for the woman’s welfare when she stopped making sounds and decided to force their way through the door. The victim had physical injuries and told police that she was being strangled by Chandler. Howe said she’s doing okay.
“This is a tragic event,” Layman, the police chief, said. “Anytime that anybody has to take a life or that law enforcement has to take a life, it’s tragic and it’s far reaching.”
Layman added that it was very lucky that “we didn’t lose at least two officers in that situation.”
“We feel very fortunate, but at the same time, we also feel for the family of Mr. Chandler,” Layman said.
During the press conference, Layman defended her officers’ actions when asked if they took any unnecessary risks.
“You guys have the opportunity to Monday morning quarterback everything that the officers did in that situation,” she said. “They don’t have the luxury of doing that. So based on the information that our officers had at the time, the exigent circumstances that were present, they were very reasonable in doing what they did.
“Actually, if you look at the video, after they were fired upon, our officers actually tactically retreated behind cover. It was Mr. Chandler who decided at that point to advance on our officers and at that point, they had no other choice.”
In officer-involved shootings, Lenexa waits for the ruling from the district attorney’s office before allowing the officers to return to the street, she said. Once cleared, officers are sent for a psychological evaluation and are integrated back slowly to make sure their well-being is taken care of.
Police shooting investigations are handled by the Johnson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team. The team is assembled with police from several different area agencies, not including the agency whose officers are under investigation, with the aim of reviewing such cases fairly and objectively.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 10:51 AM.
