Crime

Kansas City police officer injured in shooting during traffic stop released from hospital

A Kansas City police officer is expected to survive after being shot and injured while arresting a man suspected of being impaired in a traffic stop. Police had stopped the driver near East 46th Street and Benton Boulevard. This Google Maps Street View image of the area is from October.
A Kansas City police officer is expected to survive after being shot and injured while arresting a man suspected of being impaired in a traffic stop. Police had stopped the driver near East 46th Street and Benton Boulevard. This Google Maps Street View image of the area is from October. Google Maps

A Kansas City police officer allegedly shot by a suspected impaired driver was released from the hospital, a police spokesman said Thursday.

The officer will continue to recover at home, said Capt. Jake Becchina, a police spokesman for the Kansas City Police Department.

The shooting occurred shortly after 10:15 p.m. Monday near East 46th Street and Benton Boulevard, which is the border of the Oak Park Southwest and Oak Park Southeast neighborhoods.

The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office has charged Dwayne A. Barnes with two counts of first-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, and four counts of armed criminal action, all felonies, as well as a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.

According to court documents, officers pulled Barnes over after noticing that the GMC Sierra pickup truck he was driving had an expired license plate with a 2018 registration sticker. A computer check returned with no record for the plate.

Officers determined Barnes was allegedly driving under the influence. When the officers attempted to arrest Barnes, he allegedly resisted by tensing up and pulling away, according to the probable cause affidavit filed with the charges. They wrestled him to the ground.

Additional officers responded to the scene and placed Barnes in handcuffs. After Barnes was brought back to his feet, video from police body camera allegedly shows a silver handgun appearing from under Barnes’ shirt near his right hip.

Barnes allegedly fired one shot toward an officer, who fell to the ground, and then turned toward another officer and fired the gun a second time before being taken down to the ground again, according to the affidavit.

The injured officer wasstruck by gunfire near the elbow, and was taken to a hospital in a police vehicle.

Police allegedly located a silver Smith and Wesson .357 revolver in the grass near where Barnes was standing. It had three live rounds and two spent shell casings.

Barnes was being held in Jackson County jail on $200,000 bond.

No attorney was listed in court records for Barnes.

Robert A. Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star
Robert A. Cronkleton is a breaking news reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering crime, courts, transportation, weather and climate. He’s been at The Star for 36 years. His skills include multimedia and data reporting and video and audio editing. Support my work with a digital subscription
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER