68-year-old identified as man fatally shot by Independence officers over weekend
The man fatally shot by Independence police over the weekend has been identified as 68-year-old Gary K. Cusick, of Independence, according to a spokesman for the task force investigating the shooting in an update.
Three officers fired their weapons and all three are on administrative leave, which is standard protocol, said Lee’s Summit Sgt. Chris Depue, a spokesman for the Eastern Jackson County Police Involved Incident Team.
Cusick was fatally shot by officers responding to a reported disturbance around 1 a.m. Sunday in the 11600 block of East Truman Road, Depue said.
Arriving officers found Cusick in the backseat of a vehicle in the parking lot of a small apartment building. As officers tried to determine if he was connected to the disturbance, Cusick allegedly became agitated and produced a firearm, Depue said earlier.
Officers issued verbal commands, but Cusick allegedly did not comply. Officers then opened fire, striking him, Depue said. Believing the area was unsafe, officers carried Cusick 50 yards to an ambulance, where he was declared dead.
When asked what prompted officers to use deadly force and what was meant by “produced a weapon,” Depue said he had no comment beyond what had already been released. The number of shots fired by the officers have also not been released.
The task force, known as PIIT, was called in to conduct the investigation. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be submitted to the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
