Man shot as Gardner police checked his welfare and pulled gun from safe, audio reveals
The 22-year-old man shot and wounded as Gardner police responded to check on his well-being Wednesday afternoon had been released from a hospital earlier in the day after experiencing a mental crisis, according to police radio audio from Broadcastify.
The man allegedly pointed a handgun at the officer, who fired his service weapon in response, police said. The man, who has not been identified, was taken to a hospital and placed in police custody. His wounds may have been self-inflicted, police said.
No officer was injured in the incident and the Johnson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigation Team is investigating.
The man’s mother had called police shortly after 3:30 p.m. Wednesday asking police to check the welfare of her son at his home near Cottage Creek and Stone Creek drives in Gardner, according to audio from Broadcastify.
The dispatcher advised a Gardner police officer that the son had been released from a hospital Wednesday after Lenexa police had taken him there because he was having suicidal thoughts, according to the audio.
It was unknown if he was home, but his mother was en route and wanted to meet officers there, the dispatcher said.
The mother called back saying that she was delayed by a train but was still on her way, a dispatcher said. She was receiving texts from someone at the home who said her son was there.
Her son “got into the gun safe, possibly has a firearm on him,” the dispatcher said the text messages indicated.
The officer replied he received the update and he too was having to go around because he had been stopped by the same train. Another officer was added to the call who asked for the dispatcher to repeat the information about a possible weapon.
“The RP (mother) received a text from whoever is there with him that he got into the gun safe,” the dispatcher replied. “It doesn’t say anything about if he still has one or not.”
The dispatcher advised officers that his mother arrived, but had not gone inside yet. Shortly thereafter, she said that her son left the house and was headed west.
Moments later, the dispatcher advised that shots had possibly been fired. The mother was heard screaming on the phone about gunshots and that she thought her son might have fired shots, the dispatcher told officers.
Her son ran into the parking lot of the New Life Church, located at East Grand Street and South Moonlight Road.
“Just confirming, he did shoot off a firearm?” an officer asked the dispatcher.
“That is what the RP (mother) is advising, sir,” the dispatcher replied. “She said he shot it off. It is not clear if he shot at someone or just into the air.”
The dispatcher advised that the man’s father apparently followed his son into the church’s parking lot. An officer arrived at the church and moments later a tone is heard on the radio followed by an officer saying, “shots fired.” That was followed by an emergency tone.
“Officer needs assistance at Oak Crest and Moonlight in Gardner,” a dispatcher said. That prompted other Johnson County agencies to start sending officers in that direction.
Soon thereafter, an officer advised that one person was in custody. An ambulance was requested with the officer saying that the man had a self-inflected injury to the face, according to the audio. The officer told dispatchers that no officers were injured in the shooting.
The events surrounding the shooting incident unfolded in less than 15 minutes.
Officers involved were placed on paid leave as a matter of standard procedure while the shooting is investigated is performed.
