A 34-year-old Kansas sheriff’s deputy was killed Saturday after being shot while responding to a domestic violence call, authorities reported.
Wyandotte County Deputy Elijah Ming was shot as he approached a home in Kansas City, Kansas. A woman, fearing for her safety, had asked for police assistance as she moved out of the residence. She told officers that a man inside the house had previously threatened her and her friends with a gun when she first tried to leave, officials said.
Deputy Ming, a nine-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was described by Sheriff Daniel Soptic as having given his life in service to Wyandotte County residents. The shooting happened around 3:45 p.m. in southwest Kansas City, according to Kansas City Police Chief Karl Oakman.
Ming and a Kansas City police officer were assisting the woman when the suspect opened fire without warning, striking Ming. The police officer was unharmed. Other officers quickly responded, and an exchange of gunfire followed. The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Shawn Harris, was wounded and barricaded himself inside the home.
Police negotiators spoke with Harris by phone for about an hour before he surrendered. Harris was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition as of Saturday night.
Kansas City Mayor Tyrone Gardner visited Ming’s family and asked the community to pray for them, calling the loss “senseless violence” and expressing condolences.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation and will submit its findings to the Wyandotte County District Attorney to determine charges against Harris.
