TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 483&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from April 26, to May 3, for a total of 945,438 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 569 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;13 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on April 26 for a total of 10,196 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 483&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from April 26, to May 3, for a total of 945,438 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 569 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;13 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on April 26 for a total of 10,196 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683131915930.png" alt="May 3, 2023 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>May 3, 2023 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE: COVID cases continue to decline; 13 more deaths

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Mark Erich, Shawna Maloney and their two children set off in good spirits for the first family vacation in a newly acquired recreational vehicle, traveling from Colorado to Alabama via Interstate 70.

In central Kansas before dawn in March 2018, their camper caught the attention of Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Justin Rohr. He whipped his cruiser across the median to head east at high speed to track down the RV bearing temporary Colorado tags. The trooper briefly paced the Erich-Maloney camper in the left lane before sliding to the right and lighting them up on the pretext Erich’s right rear tire touched the white fog line.

“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t sleepy,” Rohr told Erich to open the roadside stop. Rohr’s dash camera and an audio feed from troopers on the scene created a vivid record of dialogue and imagery.

Rohr asserted he could see paint on Erich’s hand and claimed to sense the presence of fresh paint or car body putty when he approached the vehicle. Erich and Maloney, as well as two other troopers, said they couldn’t smell anything odd. But Rohr pushed a theory someone had sealed a secret compartment within the RV to hide illegal drugs.

Rohr, who joined the KHP in 2006 with Badge No. 232, was building a case of investigation borne of suspicion. He still lacked cause to order a search of the camper by the drug-sniffing dog waiting in his cruiser’s rear seat. In the interim, he handed Erich a warning for nicking the highway’s white line.

“You guys have a safe trip,” Rohr said. “Drive careful.” The video shows Rohr took a few steps toward the rear of the RV before spinning back to engage Erich again. It’s known as the Kansas Two-Step — a technique taught KHP personnel to signal termination of a routine traffic stop and initiation of a separate effort to elicit information and gain entry to a vehicle to search for contraband.

The officer’s request sounded simple: “Hey, sir, can I ask you more questions?” Erich, who thought the trooper’s inquiry had gone on long enough and was leery of what might transpire next, said he’d prefer not to engage in more conversation.

At that point, Rohr announced he was detaining the family pending a drug-dog assessment and possible deep dive by troopers. He later reported Erich refused KHP access to the RV, but admitted in the deposition that wasn’t true. Erich said he wanted to leave, but wasn’t directly asked about a search.

“I think you might have a false compartment in this vehicle,” Rohr said. He ordered both parents and the children out of the RV into freezing weather. He paraded his police dog around the camper’s exterior before declaring the animal signaled presence of marijuana, cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine.

He said the canine’s sensitive nose gave him reasonable suspicion to explore the vehicle’s interior as other cars and trucks continued to zoom past on the interstate.

Kansas troopers on the scene dismantled parts of the RV’s dash, smashed smoke detectors, dumped clothes on the floor, ransacked the refrigerator, damaged the restroom door and towel rack, broke a panel under the shower and disabled the toilet. The law enforcement officers’ search included exploration of external storage bins. They crawled under the vehicle to tap metal panels, peered under the hood and climbed a ladder off the bumper to examine the roof.

They found nothing illegal. No drugs. No guns. No cash.

“I was fearful. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Maloney, who testified she still suffered anxiety from the experience. “I was scared and nervous. I was mad. I was very upset. I felt it was a waste of our time. I don’t feel save driving through Kansas anymore.”

As the sun started rising to the east, Rohr told Maloney and Erich he was sorry for wasting their time.

He didn’t apologize for what Maloney, Erich and other plaintiffs contend was the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/aclu-motorists-challenge-roadside-detention-dog-searches-triggered-by-trooper-two-step/">KHP’s practice of violating Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure</a>. A group of attorneys serving the plaintiffs, including representation by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, named KHP superintendent Herman Jones as defendant in this week’s trial contesting KHP policy on the two-step searches. Plaintiffs seek a court order prohibiting the two-step system crafted to work around motorists’ constitutional protections.

In a brief interview at the federal courthouse, Jones said KHP “made some adjustments” in response to legal objections to the Kansas two-step. He declined to comment on troopers’ abuse of the RV. In a deposition, Rohr said he didn’t recall harming the camper but said he had damaged property in other searches.

Two other plaintiffs in the consolidated case against KHP, Wichita resident Joshua Bosire and Oklahoma City resident Blaine Shaw, already prevailed in jury trials accusing KHP troopers Douglas Schulte and Brandon McMillan of improperly detaining them. Searches of their vehicles failed to uncover evidence of drug trafficking.

On Monday, it was the turn of Erich and Maloney to take the stand and plead their case at the Robert Dole Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas.

They’re all contesting KHP’s reliance on the two-step method to question motorists in anticipation of building reasonable suspicion and compelling involuntary searches of suspect vehicles. KHP policy has clashed with a 2016 decision in the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals that instructed the Kansas law enforcement agency to cease reliance on unreliable methods of detaining motorists for criminal searches.

In a deposition played for the court, Rohr defended his approach to sorting out who should be placed under a microscope as a possible drug trafficker. He said he relied on extensive training and experience when making subjective determinations, which depended on “more than a hunch.”

The trooper said he was drawn to out-of-state vehicles, especially from drug production states such as California and Colorado or motorists headed toward high drug consumption cities such as St. Louis and Cleveland. He tuned into individuals who appeared nervous or were pulling trailers with no load. He said it was meaningful when vehicles were doused with air freshener to obscure odor or had interiors littered with fast-food wrappers, which was a sign of guilt among people exceptionally eager to keep moving.

Rohr said he was convinced, at least when his deposition in the suit was taken in 2021, Erich and Maloney were indeed hiding drugs in their RV despite his unsuccessful effort to find evidence of that claim.

“This is a crucial case for our clients, but also for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways,” said Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas. “For too long, the Highway Patrol has run roughshod over the rights of motorists. People should be free to travel through our state without the fear that they will be unlawfully shaken down based simply on the small fact that they are coming from or are going to states that have legalized drug use in some capacity.”

She said Jones hadn’t taken steps to halt KHP’s impermissible reliance on motorists’ travel agenda or state of residence when deciding whether to retain a person for a canine sniff. Plaintiffs contended KHP’s transformation of a traffic stop into a search was an egregious practice that preyed on motorists who didn’t appreciate their constitutional rights and people who understood their rights but thought it risky to drive away, she said.

“At its core, this case is about what it means for police to target certain people for intrusive questioning and suspicionless detention,” Brett said. “To turn something minor, like a traffic violation, into a degrading and lengthy roadside detention or something even worse.”

She said the KHP litigation reflected the public’s desire to push back against misuse of law enforcement authority.

“When we give police the power to conduct pretextual stops, to assume people to be drug traffickers, and to use flimsy justifications to get inside their vehicles to prolong traffic stops, we turn a simple ticket-release scenario into something longer, fraught and complicated,” Brett said.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil, who was assigned to preside over the three trials, denied KHP’s motion for summary judgement. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver rejected KHP’s request for qualified immunity from the lawsuits.

In February, a federal court jury founding in favor of Shaw’s claim against Schulte. Shaw was awarded nominal damages when the jury determined Schulte violated Shaw’s rights during a 2017 stop. Shaw and a brother, members of the Osage Nation from Oklahoma City, were on their way to Denver when pulled over near Hays for speeding. Schulte issued the ticket and wished them well before relying on the two-step maneuver to pose additional questions leading to a drug-dog search of their van.

In the second trial, Bosire’s jury determined McMillan violated Bosier’s rights during a traffic stop in 2019. Bosire was awarded punitive and compensatory damages.

Arthur Chalmers, an attorney representing KHP employees in the trials, said troopers sued by Shaw and Bosire leaned on years of training to formulate reasonable suspicion of possible crimes. He said in court documents KHP respected Fourth Amendment rights of motorists. He argued KHP hadn’t infringed on constitutional rights of people to travel from state to state through Kansas.

On Monday, Chalmers declined to offer opening remarks at start of the bench trial aimed at Jones, who serves as the state law enforcement agency’s colonel and superintendent. He is scheduled to retire this summer.

Chalmers did raise objections to showing video of Rohr’s deposition and the admission of RV photographs taken by plaintiffs. He alleged plaintiffs’ lawyers were introducing “inadmissible hearsay” and information lacking relevance to the case. When he objected to testimony by Maloney, the judge sought to deter him.

“I’d like to hear what she has to say,” Vratil said. “So, there’s no need to keep objecting.”

Roots of the case trace to Peter Vasquez, who filed suit against KHP troopers Richard Jimerson and Dax Lewis alleging they lacked reasonable suspicion in 2011 to detain and search his vehicle in Wabaunsee County. Five years later, his case made it to the Court of Appeals’ 10th Circuit in Denver.

Vasquez had been a resident of Colorado and was driving on I-70 through Kansas during the night in a recently acquired older-model car. Vasquez refused to voluntarily allow troopers to search his BMW. Jimerson, suspecting Vasquez was transporting illegal drugs, detained him before calling in a trained drug dog. Subsequent inspection of the vehicle didn’t turn up anything illegal.

Vasquez filed suit against KHP in 2012 alleging violation of search-and-seizure rights. The U.S. District Court in Kansas granted the troopers summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity, concluding Vasquez’ asserted right wasn’t clearly established in law.

“We disagree,” the Court of Appeals said. “We conclude that the officers acted without reasonable suspicion and violated clearly established precedent. In particular, we conclude that the officers impermissibly relied on Vasquez’ status as a resident of Colorado to justify the search of his vehicle.”

KHP and Vasquez settled the case in 2017 after the U.S. Supreme Court declined the state’s request to hear an appeal. Vasquez was paid $67,100 by the state. He told The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2017/07/03/state-settles-lawsuit-man-detained-under-suspicion-kansas-highway/16538081007/">Topeka Capital-Journal</a>&nbsp;the conflict exposed KHP’s corrupt practices and lack of respect for constitutional rights.

“It’s about accountability,” Vasquez said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682429035127.png" alt="&nbsp;Individuals pulled over by the Kansas Highway Patrol for traffic offenses but subjected to drug-dog searches of their vehicles are challenging constitutionality of the agency's "two-step" maneuver to trigger the searches. -KHP photo" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Individuals pulled over by the Kansas Highway Patrol for traffic offenses but subjected to drug-dog searches of their vehicles are challenging constitutionality of the agency's "two-step" maneuver to trigger the searches. -KHP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>KANSAS CITY, Kansas — Mark Erich, Shawna Maloney and their two children set off in good spirits for the first family vacation in a newly acquired recreational vehicle, traveling from Colorado to Alabama via Interstate 70.In central Kansas before dawn in March 2018, their camper caught the attention of Kansas Highway Patrol trooper Justin Rohr. He whipped his cruiser across the median to head east at high speed to track down the RV bearing temporary Colorado tags. The trooper briefly paced the Erich-Maloney camper in the left lane before sliding to the right and lighting them up on the pretext Erich’s right rear tire touched the white fog line.“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t sleepy,” Rohr told Erich to open the roadside stop. Rohr’s dash camera and an audio feed from troopers on the scene created a vivid record of dialogue and imagery.Rohr asserted he could see paint on Erich’s hand and claimed to sense the presence of fresh paint or car body putty when he approached the vehicle. Erich and Maloney, as well as two other troopers, said they couldn’t smell anything odd. But Rohr pushed a theory someone had sealed a secret compartment within the RV to hide illegal drugs.Rohr, who joined the KHP in 2006 with Badge No. 232, was building a case of investigation borne of suspicion. He still lacked cause to order a search of the camper by the drug-sniffing dog waiting in his cruiser’s rear seat. In the interim, he handed Erich a warning for nicking the highway’s white line.“You guys have a safe trip,” Rohr said. “Drive careful.” The video shows Rohr took a few steps toward the rear of the RV before spinning back to engage Erich again. It’s known as the Kansas Two-Step — a technique taught KHP personnel to signal termination of a routine traffic stop and initiation of a separate effort to elicit information and gain entry to a vehicle to search for contraband.The officer’s request sounded simple: “Hey, sir, can I ask you more questions?” Erich, who thought the trooper’s inquiry had gone on long enough and was leery of what might transpire next, said he’d prefer not to engage in more conversation.At that point, Rohr announced he was detaining the family pending a drug-dog assessment and possible deep dive by troopers. He later reported Erich refused KHP access to the RV, but admitted in the deposition that wasn’t true. Erich said he wanted to leave, but wasn’t directly asked about a search.“I think you might have a false compartment in this vehicle,” Rohr said. He ordered both parents and the children out of the RV into freezing weather. He paraded his police dog around the camper’s exterior before declaring the animal signaled presence of marijuana, cocaine, heroin or methamphetamine.He said the canine’s sensitive nose gave him reasonable suspicion to explore the vehicle’s interior as other cars and trucks continued to zoom past on the interstate.Kansas troopers on the scene dismantled parts of the RV’s dash, smashed smoke detectors, dumped clothes on the floor, ransacked the refrigerator, damaged the restroom door and towel rack, broke a panel under the shower and disabled the toilet. The law enforcement officers’ search included exploration of external storage bins. They crawled under the vehicle to tap metal panels, peered under the hood and climbed a ladder off the bumper to examine the roof.They found nothing illegal. No drugs. No guns. No cash.“I was fearful. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Maloney, who testified she still suffered anxiety from the experience. “I was scared and nervous. I was mad. I was very upset. I felt it was a waste of our time. I don’t feel save driving through Kansas anymore.”<h2>Constitutional challenge</h2>As the sun started rising to the east, Rohr told Maloney and Erich he was sorry for wasting their time.He didn’t apologize for what Maloney, Erich and other plaintiffs contend was the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/06/aclu-motorists-challenge-roadside-detention-dog-searches-triggered-by-trooper-two-step/">KHP’s practice of violating Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure</a>. A group of attorneys serving the plaintiffs, including representation by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, named KHP superintendent Herman Jones as defendant in this week’s trial contesting KHP policy on the two-step searches. Plaintiffs seek a court order prohibiting the two-step system crafted to work around motorists’ constitutional protections.In a brief interview at the federal courthouse, Jones said KHP “made some adjustments” in response to legal objections to the Kansas two-step. He declined to comment on troopers’ abuse of the RV. In a deposition, Rohr said he didn’t recall harming the camper but said he had damaged property in other searches.Two other plaintiffs in the consolidated case against KHP, Wichita resident Joshua Bosire and Oklahoma City resident Blaine Shaw, already prevailed in jury trials accusing KHP troopers Douglas Schulte and Brandon McMillan of improperly detaining them. Searches of their vehicles failed to uncover evidence of drug trafficking.On Monday, it was the turn of Erich and Maloney to take the stand and plead their case at the Robert Dole Courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas.They’re all contesting KHP’s reliance on the two-step method to question motorists in anticipation of building reasonable suspicion and compelling involuntary searches of suspect vehicles. KHP policy has clashed with a 2016 decision in the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals that instructed the Kansas law enforcement agency to cease reliance on unreliable methods of detaining motorists for criminal searches.In a deposition played for the court, Rohr defended his approach to sorting out who should be placed under a microscope as a possible drug trafficker. He said he relied on extensive training and experience when making subjective determinations, which depended on “more than a hunch.”The trooper said he was drawn to out-of-state vehicles, especially from drug production states such as California and Colorado or motorists headed toward high drug consumption cities such as St. Louis and Cleveland. He tuned into individuals who appeared nervous or were pulling trailers with no load. He said it was meaningful when vehicles were doused with air freshener to obscure odor or had interiors littered with fast-food wrappers, which was a sign of guilt among people exceptionally eager to keep moving.Rohr said he was convinced, at least when his deposition in the suit was taken in 2021, Erich and Maloney were indeed hiding drugs in their RV despite his unsuccessful effort to find evidence of that claim.“This is a crucial case for our clients, but also for anyone else who travels on Kansas highways,” said Sharon Brett, legal director of the ACLU of Kansas. “For too long, the Highway Patrol has run roughshod over the rights of motorists. People should be free to travel through our state without the fear that they will be unlawfully shaken down based simply on the small fact that they are coming from or are going to states that have legalized drug use in some capacity.”She said Jones hadn’t taken steps to halt KHP’s impermissible reliance on motorists’ travel agenda or state of residence when deciding whether to retain a person for a canine sniff. Plaintiffs contended KHP’s transformation of a traffic stop into a search was an egregious practice that preyed on motorists who didn’t appreciate their constitutional rights and people who understood their rights but thought it risky to drive away, she said.“At its core, this case is about what it means for police to target certain people for intrusive questioning and suspicionless detention,” Brett said. “To turn something minor, like a traffic violation, into a degrading and lengthy roadside detention or something even worse.”She said the KHP litigation reflected the public’s desire to push back against misuse of law enforcement authority.“When we give police the power to conduct pretextual stops, to assume people to be drug traffickers, and to use flimsy justifications to get inside their vehicles to prolong traffic stops, we turn a simple ticket-release scenario into something longer, fraught and complicated,” Brett said.<h2>State’s attorney 0-2, so far</h2>U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil, who was assigned to preside over the three trials, denied KHP’s motion for summary judgement. The U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver rejected KHP’s request for qualified immunity from the lawsuits.In February, a federal court jury founding in favor of Shaw’s claim against Schulte. Shaw was awarded nominal damages when the jury determined Schulte violated Shaw’s rights during a 2017 stop. Shaw and a brother, members of the Osage Nation from Oklahoma City, were on their way to Denver when pulled over near Hays for speeding. Schulte issued the ticket and wished them well before relying on the two-step maneuver to pose additional questions leading to a drug-dog search of their van.In the second trial, Bosire’s jury determined McMillan violated Bosier’s rights during a traffic stop in 2019. Bosire was awarded punitive and compensatory damages.Arthur Chalmers, an attorney representing KHP employees in the trials, said troopers sued by Shaw and Bosire leaned on years of training to formulate reasonable suspicion of possible crimes. He said in court documents KHP respected Fourth Amendment rights of motorists. He argued KHP hadn’t infringed on constitutional rights of people to travel from state to state through Kansas.On Monday, Chalmers declined to offer opening remarks at start of the bench trial aimed at Jones, who serves as the state law enforcement agency’s colonel and superintendent. He is scheduled to retire this summer.Chalmers did raise objections to showing video of Rohr’s deposition and the admission of RV photographs taken by plaintiffs. He alleged plaintiffs’ lawyers were introducing “inadmissible hearsay” and information lacking relevance to the case. When he objected to testimony by Maloney, the judge sought to deter him.“I’d like to hear what she has to say,” Vratil said. “So, there’s no need to keep objecting.”Roots of the case trace to Peter Vasquez, who filed suit against KHP troopers Richard Jimerson and Dax Lewis alleging they lacked reasonable suspicion in 2011 to detain and search his vehicle in Wabaunsee County. Five years later, his case made it to the Court of Appeals’ 10th Circuit in Denver.Vasquez had been a resident of Colorado and was driving on I-70 through Kansas during the night in a recently acquired older-model car. Vasquez refused to voluntarily allow troopers to search his BMW. Jimerson, suspecting Vasquez was transporting illegal drugs, detained him before calling in a trained drug dog. Subsequent inspection of the vehicle didn’t turn up anything illegal.Vasquez filed suit against KHP in 2012 alleging violation of search-and-seizure rights. The U.S. District Court in Kansas granted the troopers summary judgment on the basis of qualified immunity, concluding Vasquez’ asserted right wasn’t clearly established in law.“We disagree,” the Court of Appeals said. “We conclude that the officers acted without reasonable suspicion and violated clearly established precedent. In particular, we conclude that the officers impermissibly relied on Vasquez’ status as a resident of Colorado to justify the search of his vehicle.”KHP and Vasquez settled the case in 2017 after the U.S. Supreme Court declined the state’s request to hear an appeal. Vasquez was paid $67,100 by the state. He told The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/crime/2017/07/03/state-settles-lawsuit-man-detained-under-suspicion-kansas-highway/16538081007/">Topeka Capital-Journal</a>&nbsp;the conflict exposed KHP’s corrupt practices and lack of respect for constitutional rights.“It’s about accountability,” Vasquez said.

KHP’s ‘two-step’ technique for vehicle searches challenged in court

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and have made another arrest

Just before 4am on April 30, police were dispatched to a shooting that took place in the 2800 block of East Stadium Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

 Once on the scene officers located a victim identified as 36-year-old Christian Santiago of Wichita in the front passenger seat of a white SUV deceased.

Investigators identified 48-year-old Jorge Romero, Jr. of Wichita as a suspect. Police located him Tuesday in the 1200 block of W Casado Street and made an arrest.

He was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of First-Degree Murder. It is believed the suspect and victim are known to each other and this is not a random incident, according to Rebolledo. Romero has previous convictions that include aggravated battery, burglary, robbery,&nbsp; aggravated assault, and criminal damage to property, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

On Sunday, police also booked 47-year-old Adonis C. Andrews into the Sedgwick County Jail in connection with Santiago's murder. 

He remains <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=442948">jailed on requested</a> charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Robbery, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Distribute Controlled Substance, and 3 Warrants.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683119668766.png" alt="Romero-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Romero-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a homicide and have made another arrestJust before 4am on April 30, police were dispatched to a shooting that took place in the 2800 block of East Stadium Drive in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Once on the scene officers located a victim identified as 36-year-old Christian Santiago of Wichita in the front passenger seat of a white SUV deceased.Investigators identified 48-year-old Jorge Romero, Jr. of Wichita as a suspect. Police located him Tuesday in the 1200 block of W Casado Street and made an arrest.He was booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of First-Degree Murder. It is believed the suspect and victim are known to each other and this is not a random incident, according to Rebolledo. Romero has previous convictions that include aggravated battery, burglary, robbery,&nbsp; aggravated assault, and criminal damage to property, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.On Sunday, police also booked 47-year-old Adonis C. Andrews into the Sedgwick County Jail in connection with Santiago's murder. He remains <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/InmateSearch/Details.aspx?Id=442948">jailed on requested</a> charges of First Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery, Aggravated Burglary, Aggravated Robbery, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Distribute Controlled Substance, and 3 Warrants.

Police arrest 2nd suspect in Kansas homicide investigation

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities accused Ukraine on Wednesday of attempting to attack the Kremlin with two drones overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin decried the alleged attack attempt as a “terrorist act” and said Russian military and security forces “disabled” the drones before they could strike. It did not elaborate.

A statement on the Kremlin's website said debris from the unmanned aerial vehicles fell on the grounds of the seat of Russia's government but did not cause any damage. The statement, which did not explain what caused the drones to break up, said no casualties were reported.

A video published overnight on a local Moscow news Telegram channel, which appeared to have been shot across the river from the Kremlin, showed what looked like smoke rising over the Kremlin.

According to the text accompanying the video, residents of a nearby apartment building reported hearing bangs and seeing smoke at around 2:30 a.m. local time (7:30 p.m. Eastern.) It was impossible to independently verify the posted footage.

Kyiv categorically denied involvement in the attack. “We do not attack the Kremlin because, first of all, it does not solve any military problems. Absolutely. And this is extremely disadvantageous from the point of view of preparing our offensive measures," Ukraine's presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, said.

"And most importantly, it would allow Russia to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities. Why do we need this?” Podolyak said.

The Kremlin didn’t present any evidence to back up its account, including the allegation of an assassination attempt as Russia prepares to observe its annual Victory Day on Tuesday.

“We consider these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president of Russia, carried out on the eve of the Victory Day, the parade on May 9, where foreign dignitaries are expected,” the Kremlin's statement read.

Russia retains the right to respond “when and where it sees fit,” the statement said.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti that Putin wasn’t in the Kremlin at the time and was working from the Novo-Ogaryovo residence.

The Kremlin added that Putin was safe and his schedule was unchanged. Peskov said at the parade would take place as scheduled on May 9.

Shortly before the news about the alleged attack broke, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a ban on using drones in the Russian capital, with an exception for drones launched by authorities.

Sobyanin didn't cite a reason for the ban, saying only that it would prevent “illegal use of drones that can hinder the work of law enforcement.”

A lawmaker who represents Crimea in Moscow, Mikhail Sheremet, told Russian state media that the Kremlin should order a missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s residence in Kyiv in retaliation for Wednesday's alleged incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1663760963726.jpeg" alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin-Image from a video released in September by the Russian Presidential Press Service via AP" />
 <figcaption>Russian President Vladimir Putin-Image from a video released in September by the Russian Presidential Press Service via AP</figcaption>
 </figure>MOSCOW (AP) — Russian authorities accused Ukraine on Wednesday of attempting to attack the Kremlin with two drones overnight in an effort to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.The Kremlin decried the alleged attack attempt as a “terrorist act” and said Russian military and security forces “disabled” the drones before they could strike. It did not elaborate.A statement on the Kremlin's website said debris from the unmanned aerial vehicles fell on the grounds of the seat of Russia's government but did not cause any damage. The statement, which did not explain what caused the drones to break up, said no casualties were reported.A video published overnight on a local Moscow news Telegram channel, which appeared to have been shot across the river from the Kremlin, showed what looked like smoke rising over the Kremlin.According to the text accompanying the video, residents of a nearby apartment building reported hearing bangs and seeing smoke at around 2:30 a.m. local time (7:30 p.m. Eastern.) It was impossible to independently verify the posted footage.Kyiv categorically denied involvement in the attack. “We do not attack the Kremlin because, first of all, it does not solve any military problems. Absolutely. And this is extremely disadvantageous from the point of view of preparing our offensive measures," Ukraine's presidential advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak, said."And most importantly, it would allow Russia to justify massive strikes on Ukrainian cities, on the civilian population, on infrastructure facilities. Why do we need this?” Podolyak said.The Kremlin didn’t present any evidence to back up its account, including the allegation of an assassination attempt as Russia prepares to observe its annual Victory Day on Tuesday.“We consider these actions as a planned terrorist act and an attempt on the life of the president of Russia, carried out on the eve of the Victory Day, the parade on May 9, where foreign dignitaries are expected,” the Kremlin's statement read.Russia retains the right to respond “when and where it sees fit,” the statement said.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti that Putin wasn’t in the Kremlin at the time and was working from the Novo-Ogaryovo residence.The Kremlin added that Putin was safe and his schedule was unchanged. Peskov said at the parade would take place as scheduled on May 9.Shortly before the news about the alleged attack broke, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin issued a ban on using drones in the Russian capital, with an exception for drones launched by authorities.Sobyanin didn't cite a reason for the ban, saying only that it would prevent “illegal use of drones that can hinder the work of law enforcement.”A lawmaker who represents Crimea in Moscow, Mikhail Sheremet, told Russian state media that the Kremlin should order a missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s residence in Kyiv in retaliation for Wednesday's alleged incident.

Russian President Putin survives assassination attempt

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will send 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border starting next week, ahead of an expected migrant surge following the end of coronavirus pandemic-era restrictions.

(Click below to watch the White House statement on U.S. troops)

These will be active-duty soldiers and Marines who will deploy for 90 days. They will fill critical gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support "until CPB can address these needs through contracted support," said Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary. "Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities."&nbsp;

There are already 2,500 National Guard members at the border.

The COVID-19 restrictions have allowed U.S. officials to turn away tens of thousands of migrants crossing the southern border, but those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mexico-immigration-covid-93d735b9b55c15121c8fc7763fba7e78">restrictions will lift May 11</a>, and border officials are bracing for a surge. Even amid the restrictions, the administration has seen record numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-covid-health-mexico-941e55cb2133fbd52ed76a80a20e3cd6">people crossing the border</a>, and President Joe Biden has responded by cracking down on those who cross illegally and by creating new pathways meant to offer alternatives to a dangerous and often deadly journey.

For Biden, who announced his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">Democratic reelection campaign</a>&nbsp;a week ago, the decision signals his administration is taking seriously an effort to tamp down the number of illegal crossings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-mexico-el-paso-2e30ea26bbc55c7af509a6e60ad3d33c">a potent source of Republican attacks</a>, and sends a message to potential border crossers not to attempt the journey. But it also draws potentially unwelcome comparisons to Biden's Republican predecessor, whose policies Biden frequently criticized. Congress, meanwhile, has refused to take any substantial immigration-related actions.

Then-President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-latin-america-e7ffd2d5764244cdb1d1474bd895a863">deployed active-duty troops</a>&nbsp;to the border to assist border patrol personnel in processing large migrant caravans, on top of National Guard forces that were already working in that capacity.

Jean-Pierre downplayed any similarity between Biden's immigration management and Trump's use of troops during his term. “DOD personnel have been supporting CBP at the border for almost two decades now,” Jean-Pierre said. “So this is a common practice.”

But some in Biden's own party objected to the decision.

“The Biden administration’s militarization of the border is unacceptable," said Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chair Bob Menendez, D-N.J. "There is already a humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere, and deploying military personnel only signals that migrants are a threat that require our nation’s troops to contain. Nothing could be further from the truth."

It's another line of defense in an effort to manage overcrowding and other possible issues that might arise as border officials move away from the COVID-19 restrictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-biden-asylum-75d8c0e67d5521fb48ac04f6bf017a49">Last week, administration officials announced</a>&nbsp;they would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asylum-screenings-border-credible-fear-biden-0baadca5c41bb9ccdc4b074d2034fb94">work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border</a>, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.

They will also open centers outside the United States for people fleeing violence and poverty to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.

The Pentagon on Tuesday approved the request for troops by Homeland Security, which manages the border.

The deployments have a catch: As a condition for Austin’s previous approval of National Guard troops to the border through Oct. 1, Homeland Security had to agree to work with the White House and Congress to develop a plan for longer-term staffing solutions and funding shortfalls, “to maintain border security and the safe, orderly, and humane processing of migrants that do not involve the continued use of DOD personnel and resources,” said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Devin Robinson.

As part of the agreement, the Pentagon has requested quarterly updates from Homeland Security on how it would staff its border mission without servicemembers. It was not immediately clear if those updates have happened or if border officials will be able to meet their terms of the agreement — particularly under the strain of another expected migrant surge.

Homeland Security said it was working on it. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investing in technology and personnel to reduce its need for DOD support in coming years, and we continue to call on Congress to support us in this task,” the agency said in a statement.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671577993523.png" alt="Some in President Biden's own party objected to the decision to send troops- photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Some in President Biden's own party objected to the decision to send troops- photo courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will send 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border starting next week, ahead of an expected migrant surge following the end of coronavirus pandemic-era restrictions.(Click below to watch the White House statement on U.S. troops)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1422453685175325%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=456" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>These will be active-duty soldiers and Marines who will deploy for 90 days. They will fill critical gaps, such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support "until CPB can address these needs through contracted support," said Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary. "Military personnel will not directly participate in law enforcement activities."&nbsp;There are already 2,500 National Guard members at the border.The COVID-19 restrictions have allowed U.S. officials to turn away tens of thousands of migrants crossing the southern border, but those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-mexico-immigration-covid-93d735b9b55c15121c8fc7763fba7e78">restrictions will lift May 11</a>, and border officials are bracing for a surge. Even amid the restrictions, the administration has seen record numbers of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-biden-covid-health-mexico-941e55cb2133fbd52ed76a80a20e3cd6">people crossing the border</a>, and President Joe Biden has responded by cracking down on those who cross illegally and by creating new pathways meant to offer alternatives to a dangerous and often deadly journey.For Biden, who announced his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-election-2024-president-democrats-trump-9c72115656855da89a41cac3f79aa65b">Democratic reelection campaign</a>&nbsp;a week ago, the decision signals his administration is taking seriously an effort to tamp down the number of illegal crossings,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-mexico-el-paso-2e30ea26bbc55c7af509a6e60ad3d33c">a potent source of Republican attacks</a>, and sends a message to potential border crossers not to attempt the journey. But it also draws potentially unwelcome comparisons to Biden's Republican predecessor, whose policies Biden frequently criticized. Congress, meanwhile, has refused to take any substantial immigration-related actions.Then-President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-north-america-donald-trump-ap-top-news-latin-america-e7ffd2d5764244cdb1d1474bd895a863">deployed active-duty troops</a>&nbsp;to the border to assist border patrol personnel in processing large migrant caravans, on top of National Guard forces that were already working in that capacity.Jean-Pierre downplayed any similarity between Biden's immigration management and Trump's use of troops during his term. “DOD personnel have been supporting CBP at the border for almost two decades now,” Jean-Pierre said. “So this is a common practice.”But some in Biden's own party objected to the decision.“The Biden administration’s militarization of the border is unacceptable," said Senate Committee on Foreign Relations chair Bob Menendez, D-N.J. "There is already a humanitarian crisis in the Western Hemisphere, and deploying military personnel only signals that migrants are a threat that require our nation’s troops to contain. Nothing could be further from the truth."It's another line of defense in an effort to manage overcrowding and other possible issues that might arise as border officials move away from the COVID-19 restrictions.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-biden-asylum-75d8c0e67d5521fb48ac04f6bf017a49">Last week, administration officials announced</a>&nbsp;they would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/asylum-screenings-border-credible-fear-biden-0baadca5c41bb9ccdc4b074d2034fb94">work to swiftly screen migrants seeking asylum at the border</a>, quickly deport those deemed as not being qualified, and penalize people who cross illegally into the U.S. or illegally through another country on their way to the U.S. border.They will also open centers outside the United States for people fleeing violence and poverty to apply to fly in legally and settle in the United States, Spain or Canada. The first processing centers will open in Guatemala and Colombia, with others expected to follow.The Pentagon on Tuesday approved the request for troops by Homeland Security, which manages the border.The deployments have a catch: As a condition for Austin’s previous approval of National Guard troops to the border through Oct. 1, Homeland Security had to agree to work with the White House and Congress to develop a plan for longer-term staffing solutions and funding shortfalls, “to maintain border security and the safe, orderly, and humane processing of migrants that do not involve the continued use of DOD personnel and resources,” said Pentagon spokesman Air Force Lt. Col. Devin Robinson.As part of the agreement, the Pentagon has requested quarterly updates from Homeland Security on how it would staff its border mission without servicemembers. It was not immediately clear if those updates have happened or if border officials will be able to meet their terms of the agreement — particularly under the strain of another expected migrant surge.Homeland Security said it was working on it. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection is investing in technology and personnel to reduce its need for DOD support in coming years, and we continue to call on Congress to support us in this task,” the agency said in a statement.

🎥U.S. Troops going to border will not have law enforcement role

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for numerous allegations after a traffic stop.

Just before 3 a.m. Tuesday, police observed alleged traffic violations and initiated a traffic stop near SW Clontarf Street and SW Tara Avenue in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jennifer Cross.

 The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Justin K. Boston then fled.

A short time later, officers located Boston and&nbsp;determined that he had narcotics, a firearm and an improvised explosive device (IED).

TPD’s Bomb Squad was called to the scene. The device was rendered safe and then transported to an evidence storage location. Investigative assistance was provided by the local Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) office.

Officers arrested Boston and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Criminal Use Of Explosives, Distribute Opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Criminal use of weapons; Poss of firearm by person addicted/use contr, Flee or attempt to elude; five or more moving violations, Interference with LEO; unknown circumstance; felony, Possession of marijuana, Taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or cont substance and other traffic violations, according to Cross.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683073297696.png" alt="Boston-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boston-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for numerous allegations after a traffic stop.Just before 3 a.m. Tuesday, police observed alleged traffic violations and initiated a traffic stop near SW Clontarf Street and SW Tara Avenue in Topeka, according to Police Lt. Jennifer Cross. The driver, later identified as 36-year-old Justin K. Boston then fled.A short time later, officers located Boston and&nbsp;determined that he had narcotics, a firearm and an improvised explosive device (IED).TPD’s Bomb Squad was called to the scene. The device was rendered safe and then transported to an evidence storage location. Investigative assistance was provided by the local Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) office.Officers arrested Boston and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Criminal Use Of Explosives, Distribute Opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, Criminal use of weapons; Poss of firearm by person addicted/use contr, Flee or attempt to elude; five or more moving violations, Interference with LEO; unknown circumstance; felony, Possession of marijuana, Taxation; Drugs; No drug tax stamp for marijuana or cont substance and other traffic violations, according to Cross.

Police: Kansas man caught transporting homemade explosive

KANSAS CITY (AP)&nbsp; — A&nbsp; judge on Monday temporarily blocked a unique rule that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy and fulfill other requirements before they could receive gender-affirming treatments such as puberty blockers, hormones and surgery.

St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo issued a temporary restraining order barring enforcement of Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's emergency rule until May 15 unless she extends it. She scheduled a May 11 hearing on the lawsuit challenging the rule.

In her ruling, Ribaudo wrote that those suing to block the rule would "be subjected to immediate and irreparable loss, damage or injury if the Attorney General is permitted to enforce the Emergency Rule, and its broad, sweeping provisions were implemented without further fact-finding or evidence."

She also wrote that patients are at "high risk" of having their medical care interrupted indefinitely and losing care through their current providers if the rule takes effect.

Bailey's office vowed in a statement to continue defending the rule.

"We remain confident in our position because the Court even acknowledged that it deferred its consideration of the science until a later date," his statement said, adding "six pages of endnotes" speak to the experimental nature of the care.

Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation for the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which filed suit on behalf of transgender Missourians, applauded the ruling.

Wilcox' statement called it "a win for transgender Missourians over an unprecedented attempt by the Attorney General to unilaterally legislate and harm their right to self-expression, bodily autonomy, and access to lifesaving health care."

Legal experts and transgender advocates say that if the lawsuit ultimately fails and Bailey's rule takes effect, it would make Missouri the first state to restrict gender-affirming care for adults and the first to enact such restrictions through emergency rule-making instead of through a new law.

The lawsuit argues that the rule is discriminatory, and that Bailey sidestepped the Republican-led Legislature and exceeded his authority by attempting to regulate gender-affirming health care through Missouri's consumer-protection law.

Dom Frazier, a 39-year-old transgender Kansas City resident who is not a plaintiff, said Bailey's rule is about "dehumanizing and trying to ostracize a particular group of people." He said allowing gender-affirming care is "giving people human rights."

Simone Folsom, a 21-year-old transgender woman from Kansas City, said she spent "20 years emotionally deadened" until she began hormone treatments.

"It has literally made me feel like a person for the first time in my life," said Folsom, who said the effort limit gender-affirming health care pushed her to demonstrate.

Bailey said the rule would shield minors from what he describes as experimental medical treatments, though puberty blockers and sex hormones have been prescribed for decades and the rule would also apply to adults.

The attorney general's office has said there are 12,400 Missourians who identify as transgender, the ruling noted. The office estimated that 600 to 700 Missourians would begin intervention in the next year.

The rule was initially set to take effect last Thursday. It would require people to have experienced an "intense pattern" of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months before they could receive puberty blockers, hormones, surgery or other treatment.

Before receiving care, patients would also have to be screened for autism, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved. Minors, but not adults, also would have to be screened for "social media addiction" before treatments could begin.

Opponents called the rule discriminatory and illegal.

Tony Rothert, an attorney for the ACLU, told Ribaudo at a hearing Wednesday that the regulations would "cause immediate, severe and potentially irreparable harm" to people who could lose access to medications like puberty blockers and sex hormones.

"We don't allow attorneys general to legislate, and we don't allow them to play doctor," Rothert said.

He and other attorneys said transgender people who can't get gender-affirming care are at higher risk of suicide.

Assistant Attorney General Joshua Divine argued that Bailey's order would not ban gender-affirming care, but provide "basic procedural guardrails." He cited studies showing a high percentage of children seeking to transition are dealing with mental health issues, adding they should undergo "talk therapy" instead.

Bailey issued the restrictions after launching an investigation in February into the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital. The probe was prompted by a former employee who alleged that the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent, a sufficient individualized case review and wraparound mental health services. The university's internal review found no misconduct, determing the claims were unsubstantiated.

Some transgender people have been trying to stockpile prescribed hormones or find alternative ways to get medications, fearful of losing access to the gender-affirming treatments many credit as life-saving. Some are considering leaving Missouri if the rule isn't blocked.

"This feels like the end of Kansas City being my home," said Stacy Cay, an autistic transgender woman. "It feels like it's being taken away."

Missouri's Democratic House minority leader, Crystal Quade, said recently that she asked President Joe Biden and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for an executive order extending coverage to Missourians who seek gender-affirming care in other states. She also asked the Democratic governors of Kansas and Illinois if their health care systems would accept Missouri patients for such care.

Bailey's emergency rule on gender-affirming care come as Republicans across the country have proposed hundreds of laws aimed at transgender people. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.

Bailey was appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson and took office in January. In a campaign email asking donors for money last week, Bailey said minors are "learning about their genders on TikTok."

"Think about how frightening that is!" the campaign email said. "And think about how CRAZY it is to expose children to the twisted experiments advocated by extreme transgender activists."

Brandon Hill, the interim president and CEO of Vivent Health, a health care provider with an LGBTQ+ and HIV focus serving Missouri and other states, questioned Bailey's description of gender-affirming care as "experimental." Hill said the same hormones used in gender-affirming treatment are used off-label to treat symptoms of menopause and help some cancer survivors.

"If you're concerned about the drug and its potential effects, you should be concerned about it for everybody," Hill said.

Meanwhile, Republican state lawmakers are fighting over competing Missouri House and Senate bills that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors. The chambers are split over which version to send to Parson, who is threatening to force the Legislature to keep working if nothing is done on the issue before their session's scheduled May 12 finish.

This story was updated to correct that the judge blocked the rule from taking effect until May 15 unless she further extends her order, not until the lawsuit challenging the rule is resolved.

Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678410028413.png" alt="Adam Kellogg, a University of Kansas student and transgender man, follows a Kansas Senate health committee hearing on legislation aimed at preventing gender-affirming care for minors at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)" />
 <figcaption>Adam Kellogg, a University of Kansas student and transgender man, follows a Kansas Senate health committee hearing on legislation aimed at preventing gender-affirming care for minors at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUMMER BALLENTINEKANSAS CITY (AP)&nbsp; — A&nbsp; judge on Monday temporarily blocked a unique rule that would require adults and children to undergo more than a year of therapy and fulfill other requirements before they could receive gender-affirming treatments such as puberty blockers, hormones and surgery.St. Louis County Circuit Judge Ellen Ribaudo issued a temporary restraining order barring enforcement of Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey's emergency rule until May 15 unless she extends it. She scheduled a May 11 hearing on the lawsuit challenging the rule.In her ruling, Ribaudo wrote that those suing to block the rule would "be subjected to immediate and irreparable loss, damage or injury if the Attorney General is permitted to enforce the Emergency Rule, and its broad, sweeping provisions were implemented without further fact-finding or evidence."She also wrote that patients are at "high risk" of having their medical care interrupted indefinitely and losing care through their current providers if the rule takes effect.Bailey's office vowed in a statement to continue defending the rule."We remain confident in our position because the Court even acknowledged that it deferred its consideration of the science until a later date," his statement said, adding "six pages of endnotes" speak to the experimental nature of the care.Gillian Wilcox, deputy director of litigation for the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, which filed suit on behalf of transgender Missourians, applauded the ruling.Wilcox' statement called it "a win for transgender Missourians over an unprecedented attempt by the Attorney General to unilaterally legislate and harm their right to self-expression, bodily autonomy, and access to lifesaving health care."Legal experts and transgender advocates say that if the lawsuit ultimately fails and Bailey's rule takes effect, it would make Missouri the first state to restrict gender-affirming care for adults and the first to enact such restrictions through emergency rule-making instead of through a new law.The lawsuit argues that the rule is discriminatory, and that Bailey sidestepped the Republican-led Legislature and exceeded his authority by attempting to regulate gender-affirming health care through Missouri's consumer-protection law.Dom Frazier, a 39-year-old transgender Kansas City resident who is not a plaintiff, said Bailey's rule is about "dehumanizing and trying to ostracize a particular group of people." He said allowing gender-affirming care is "giving people human rights."Simone Folsom, a 21-year-old transgender woman from Kansas City, said she spent "20 years emotionally deadened" until she began hormone treatments."It has literally made me feel like a person for the first time in my life," said Folsom, who said the effort limit gender-affirming health care pushed her to demonstrate.Bailey said the rule would shield minors from what he describes as experimental medical treatments, though puberty blockers and sex hormones have been prescribed for decades and the rule would also apply to adults.The attorney general's office has said there are 12,400 Missourians who identify as transgender, the ruling noted. The office estimated that 600 to 700 Missourians would begin intervention in the next year.The rule was initially set to take effect last Thursday. It would require people to have experienced an "intense pattern" of documented gender dysphoria for three years and to have received at least 15 hourly sessions with a therapist over at least 18 months before they could receive puberty blockers, hormones, surgery or other treatment.Before receiving care, patients would also have to be screened for autism, and any psychiatric symptoms from mental health issues would have to be treated and resolved. Minors, but not adults, also would have to be screened for "social media addiction" before treatments could begin.Opponents called the rule discriminatory and illegal.Tony Rothert, an attorney for the ACLU, told Ribaudo at a hearing Wednesday that the regulations would "cause immediate, severe and potentially irreparable harm" to people who could lose access to medications like puberty blockers and sex hormones."We don't allow attorneys general to legislate, and we don't allow them to play doctor," Rothert said.He and other attorneys said transgender people who can't get gender-affirming care are at higher risk of suicide.Assistant Attorney General Joshua Divine argued that Bailey's order would not ban gender-affirming care, but provide "basic procedural guardrails." He cited studies showing a high percentage of children seeking to transition are dealing with mental health issues, adding they should undergo "talk therapy" instead.Bailey issued the restrictions after launching an investigation in February into the Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital. The probe was prompted by a former employee who alleged that the center was providing children with gender-affirming care without informed consent, a sufficient individualized case review and wraparound mental health services. The university's internal review found no misconduct, determing the claims were unsubstantiated.Some transgender people have been trying to stockpile prescribed hormones or find alternative ways to get medications, fearful of losing access to the gender-affirming treatments many credit as life-saving. Some are considering leaving Missouri if the rule isn't blocked."This feels like the end of Kansas City being my home," said Stacy Cay, an autistic transgender woman. "It feels like it's being taken away."Missouri's Democratic House minority leader, Crystal Quade, said recently that she asked President Joe Biden and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services for an executive order extending coverage to Missourians who seek gender-affirming care in other states. She also asked the Democratic governors of Kansas and Illinois if their health care systems would accept Missouri patients for such care.Bailey's emergency rule on gender-affirming care come as Republicans across the country have proposed hundreds of laws aimed at transgender people. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.Bailey was appointed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson and took office in January. In a campaign email asking donors for money last week, Bailey said minors are "learning about their genders on TikTok.""Think about how frightening that is!" the campaign email said. "And think about how CRAZY it is to expose children to the twisted experiments advocated by extreme transgender activists."Brandon Hill, the interim president and CEO of Vivent Health, a health care provider with an LGBTQ+ and HIV focus serving Missouri and other states, questioned Bailey's description of gender-affirming care as "experimental." Hill said the same hormones used in gender-affirming treatment are used off-label to treat symptoms of menopause and help some cancer survivors."If you're concerned about the drug and its potential effects, you should be concerned about it for everybody," Hill said.Meanwhile, Republican state lawmakers are fighting over competing Missouri House and Senate bills that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors. The chambers are split over which version to send to Parson, who is threatening to force the Legislature to keep working if nothing is done on the issue before their session's scheduled May 12 finish.___This story was updated to correct that the judge blocked the rule from taking effect until May 15 unless she further extends her order, not until the lawsuit challenging the rule is resolved.___Associated Press writer Jim Salter in O'Fallon, Missouri, contributed to this report.

 Transgender KC residents respond to rule that would limit care

CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A four-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-san-jacinto-county-texas-395d6d7501f6a3f53aeccbb00ec5fbaf">manhunt in Texas for a gunman</a>&nbsp;accused of killing five neighbors ended Tuesday when authorities, acting on a tip, said they found the suspect hiding underneath a pile of laundry in the closet of a house.

Francisco Oropeza, 38, was captured without incident near the community of Conroe, north of Houston and about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from his home in the rural town of Cleveland. That’s where authorities say he went next door and shot his neighbors with an AR-style rifle shortly before midnight Friday.

Oropeza had been shooting rounds on his property and the attack occurred after neighbors asked him to go farther away because the gunfire was keeping a baby awake, according to police.

Oropeza will be charged with five counts of murder, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. Bond was set at $5 million.

“They can rest easy now, because he is behind bars,” Capers said of the families of the victims. “He will live out his life behind bars for killing those five.”

The arrest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-san-jacinto-county-texas-e9b066918abf79f0473bc0a42fa25752">ends what had become a widening dragnet</a>&nbsp;that had grown to more than 250 people from multiple jurisdictions and had seen $80,000 in reward money offered. As recently as Tuesday morning, the FBI said that Oropeza “could be anywhere," underlining how investigators for days struggled to get a sense of his whereabouts and candidly acknowledged they had no leads.

The tip that finally ended the chase came at 5:15 p.m., and a little more than an hour later, Oropeza was in custody, said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. The alleged shooter is a Mexican national who has been deported four times between 2009 and 2016, according to U.S. immigration officials

Connor Hagan, an FBI spokesman, said they would not disclose the identity of the person who called in the tip — one of more than 200 tips he says investigators received. Authorities did not say who owned the house, whether Oropeza knew them or if anyone else was inside when he was found.

They also would not say whether friends or family had helped Oropeza evade capture, or where he had been since fleeing the scene in Cleveland, which authorities previously said was likely on foot.

Hagan said the three agencies that went in to arrest Oropeza were the U.S. Marshals, Texas Department of Public Safety and US Border Patrol’s BORTAC team.

Drones and scent-tracking dogs had been used during the widening manhunt, which included combing a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $50,000 reward as the search dragged late into the weekend, while others offered an additional $30,000 in reward money.

Capers said that prior to Friday's shooting deputies had been called to the suspect’s house at least one other time previously over shooting rounds in his yard.

All of the victims were from Honduras. Wilson Garcia, who survived the shooting, said friends and family in the home tried to hide and shield themselves and children after Oropeza walked up to the home and began firing, killing his wife first at the front door.

The victims were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.

A government official in Honduras said the remains of four of the victims would be repatriated. Velásquez Alvarado will be buried in the United States at the request of her sister and her husband, said Wilson Paz, general director of Honduras’ migrant protection service.

Osmán Velásquez, Diana’s father, said Tuesday that his daughter had recently gotten residency and had traveled to the United States without documents eight years ago with the help of a sister, who was already living there.

“Her sister convinced me to let her take my daughter. She told me the United States is a country of opportunities and that’s true,” he said. "But I never imagined it was just for this.”

In offering the reward, Abbott called the victims “illegal immigrants," a partially false statement that his office walked back and apologized for Monday after drawing wide backlash over drawing attention to their immigration status. Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said they had since learned that one of the victims may have been in the country legally.

CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — Authorities near Houston say they have caught a man suspected of killing five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, with an AR-style rifle after the family confronted him late at night about firing rounds in his yard.

Francisco Oropeza, 38, was arrested Tuesday, four days after the shooting late Friday in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson.

Oropeza was was arrested without incident, Henderson said. The sheriff would not say whether Oropeza was armed or how authorities figured out where he was.

Police had used drones and scent-tracking dogs during the wide search for Oropeza that included combing a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene.

San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropeza had fled the scene after the attack that also left four adults dead. He said his deputies had been called to the suspect’s house at least one other time previously over shooting rounds in his yard.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who faced backlash over drawing attention to the victims’ immigration status, had offered a $50,000 reward over the weekend for any tips that might lead to the gunman.

While doing so, the three-term governor described all the victims as “illegal immigrants” — a potentially false statement that his office walked back and apologized for Monday.

More than 250 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, were part of a growing search.

The alleged shooter is a Mexican national who has been deported four times, according to U.S. immigration officials. The gunman was first deported in March 2009 and last in July 2016. He was also deported in September 2009 and January 2012.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683078450326.png" alt="Oropesa-photo FBI Houston" />
 <figcaption>Oropesa-photo FBI Houston</figcaption>
 </figure>CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A four-day&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-san-jacinto-county-texas-395d6d7501f6a3f53aeccbb00ec5fbaf">manhunt in Texas for a gunman</a>&nbsp;accused of killing five neighbors ended Tuesday when authorities, acting on a tip, said they found the suspect hiding underneath a pile of laundry in the closet of a house.Francisco Oropeza, 38, was captured without incident near the community of Conroe, north of Houston and about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from his home in the rural town of Cleveland. That’s where authorities say he went next door and shot his neighbors with an AR-style rifle shortly before midnight Friday.Oropeza had been shooting rounds on his property and the attack occurred after neighbors asked him to go farther away because the gunfire was keeping a baby awake, according to police.Oropeza will be charged with five counts of murder, San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said. Bond was set at $5 million.“They can rest easy now, because he is behind bars,” Capers said of the families of the victims. “He will live out his life behind bars for killing those five.”The arrest&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-san-jacinto-county-texas-e9b066918abf79f0473bc0a42fa25752">ends what had become a widening dragnet</a>&nbsp;that had grown to more than 250 people from multiple jurisdictions and had seen $80,000 in reward money offered. As recently as Tuesday morning, the FBI said that Oropeza “could be anywhere," underlining how investigators for days struggled to get a sense of his whereabouts and candidly acknowledged they had no leads.The tip that finally ended the chase came at 5:15 p.m., and a little more than an hour later, Oropeza was in custody, said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. The alleged shooter is a Mexican national who has been deported four times between 2009 and 2016, according to U.S. immigration officialsConnor Hagan, an FBI spokesman, said they would not disclose the identity of the person who called in the tip — one of more than 200 tips he says investigators received. Authorities did not say who owned the house, whether Oropeza knew them or if anyone else was inside when he was found.They also would not say whether friends or family had helped Oropeza evade capture, or where he had been since fleeing the scene in Cleveland, which authorities previously said was likely on foot.Hagan said the three agencies that went in to arrest Oropeza were the U.S. Marshals, Texas Department of Public Safety and US Border Patrol’s BORTAC team.Drones and scent-tracking dogs had been used during the widening manhunt, which included combing a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott offered a $50,000 reward as the search dragged late into the weekend, while others offered an additional $30,000 in reward money.Capers said that prior to Friday's shooting deputies had been called to the suspect’s house at least one other time previously over shooting rounds in his yard.All of the victims were from Honduras. Wilson Garcia, who survived the shooting, said friends and family in the home tried to hide and shield themselves and children after Oropeza walked up to the home and began firing, killing his wife first at the front door.The victims were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.A government official in Honduras said the remains of four of the victims would be repatriated. Velásquez Alvarado will be buried in the United States at the request of her sister and her husband, said Wilson Paz, general director of Honduras’ migrant protection service.Osmán Velásquez, Diana’s father, said Tuesday that his daughter had recently gotten residency and had traveled to the United States without documents eight years ago with the help of a sister, who was already living there.“Her sister convinced me to let her take my daughter. She told me the United States is a country of opportunities and that’s true,” he said. "But I never imagined it was just for this.”In offering the reward, Abbott called the victims “illegal immigrants," a partially false statement that his office walked back and apologized for Monday after drawing wide backlash over drawing attention to their immigration status. Abbott spokesperson Renae Eze said they had since learned that one of the victims may have been in the country legally.-------CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — Authorities near Houston say they have caught a man suspected of killing five of his neighbors, including a 9-year-old boy, with an AR-style rifle after the family confronted him late at night about firing rounds in his yard.Francisco Oropeza, 38, was arrested Tuesday, four days after the shooting late Friday in the town of Cleveland, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Houston, according to Montgomery County Sheriff Rand Henderson.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Francisco Oropesa could be anywhere. The FBI is working with law enforcement agencies across the state, country and across the border. We&#39;re leaving no stone unturned. If anyone has any photos or security camera video they&#39;d like law enforcement to see, please call 1-800-CALL-FBI <a href="https://t.co/0SpHS1ztoY">pic.twitter.com/0SpHS1ztoY</a>&mdash; FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIHouston/status/1653402736468140034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Oropeza was was arrested without incident, Henderson said. The sheriff would not say whether Oropeza was armed or how authorities figured out where he was.Police had used drones and scent-tracking dogs during the wide search for Oropeza that included combing a heavily wooded forest a few miles from the scene.San Jacinto County Sheriff Greg Capers said Oropeza had fled the scene after the attack that also left four adults dead. He said his deputies had been called to the suspect’s house at least one other time previously over shooting rounds in his yard.Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who faced backlash over drawing attention to the victims’ immigration status, had offered a $50,000 reward over the weekend for any tips that might lead to the gunman.While doing so, the three-term governor described all the victims as “illegal immigrants” — a potentially false statement that his office walked back and apologized for Monday.More than 250 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals, were part of a growing search.The alleged shooter is a Mexican national who has been deported four times, according to U.S. immigration officials. The gunman was first deported in March 2009 and last in July 2016. He was also deported in September 2009 and January 2012.The victims were identified as Diana Velazquez Alvarado, 21; Julisa Molina Rivera, 31; Jose Jonathan Casarez, 18; Sonia Argentina Guzman, 25; and Daniel Enrique Laso, 9.

Manhunt ends: Texas massacre suspect was hiding under laundry

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities including U.S. Homeland&nbsp; Security in Kansas City are investigating three men who were allegedly seeking to engage in sexual activity with children during the time period of the NFL Draft in Kansas City. 

From April 26 to 30, the three men traveled to Clay County, Missouri to meet with whom they believed to be children ranging in ages from 10 to 14, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff.

They had chatted online previously with the “children,” who were really Clay County Sheriff’s Office and HSI-KC investigators or with adults who were purportedly offering the children for sex (also under-cover Sheriff’s Office and HSI-KC investigators).

Deputies arrested the men shortly after their arrival at either the designated apartment or hotel room. Link I. Laithreach, 33, of Portland, Oregon is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 12 years of age. He has posted his $20,000 bond.

Glicerio M. Gallahad, 41, of Madison, New Jersey is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 14 years of age. He remains in custody on a $40,000 bond.&nbsp;

Nicholas C. Keith, 33, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 14 years of age. He remains in custody on a $25,000 bond.

&nbsp;All three made first court appearances Monday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1682985993803.png" alt="Keith -photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Keith -photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities including U.S. Homeland&nbsp; Security in Kansas City are investigating three men who were allegedly seeking to engage in sexual activity with children during the time period of the NFL Draft in Kansas City. From April 26 to 30, the three men traveled to Clay County, Missouri to meet with whom they believed to be children ranging in ages from 10 to 14, according to a media release from the Clay County Sheriff.They had chatted online previously with the “children,” who were really Clay County Sheriff’s Office and HSI-KC investigators or with adults who were purportedly offering the children for sex (also under-cover Sheriff’s Office and HSI-KC investigators).<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1682986067203.png" alt="Laithreach-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Laithreach-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies arrested the men shortly after their arrival at either the designated apartment or hotel room. Link I. Laithreach, 33, of Portland, Oregon is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 12 years of age. He has posted his $20,000 bond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1682986504947.png" alt="Gallahad-photo Clay Co." />
 <figcaption>Gallahad-photo Clay Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Glicerio M. Gallahad, 41, of Madison, New Jersey is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 14 years of age. He remains in custody on a $40,000 bond.&nbsp;Nicholas C. Keith, 33, of Lee’s Summit, Missouri is charged with attempted statutory sodomy-deviate sexual intercourse involving a person less than 14 years of age. He remains in custody on a $25,000 bond.&nbsp;All three made first court appearances Monday.

Sheriff: Suspects came to NFL Draft to have sex with children

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Lawrence Police Sergeant was treated at a local hospital Monday night after injuries he received while arresting a man who fled from police and put several residents and officers at risk, according to police spokesperson Laurie McCabe.

Dash camera video shows the officers as they witness a white pickup truck driving recklessly near 7th&nbsp;and Vermont about 8:20p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; Officers move to their patrol vehicles, activate lights and sirens, attempt to pull the vehicle over, and begin pursuit when the driver doesn’t comply.&nbsp; 

The truck continues and drives the wrong way on Tennessee Street, stops at a red light but remains in the truck, cuts in front of a city bus, then continues driving erratically through neighborhood streets and ultimately through a yard.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 The suspect eventually pulls into a residence in the 800 block of Morning Dove Court and refuses to exit the vehicle.&nbsp; After several attempts to get the driver to exit the truck, he flees into the residence and officers follow.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Inside the residence, the suspect continued to resist, using physical force, but officers were able to get him into custody after a physical struggle.&nbsp;

One officer suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention. The injured Sergeant, who was first in line entering the home, was taken to the hospital where he was treated for multiple injuries and contusions, and subsequently released.

The suspect, 44-year-old Craig Gunther, was arrested on numerous requested charges including Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Felony Interference.

The Sergeant is at home recovering.&nbsp; He is expected to make a full recovery, but authorities do not have an estimated timeline.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —A Lawrence Police Sergeant was treated at a local hospital Monday night after injuries he received while arresting a man who fled from police and put several residents and officers at risk, according to police spokesperson Laurie McCabe.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A Lawrence Police sergeant was treated at a local hospital last night following a vehicle pursuit that ended with the suspect allegedly assaulting multiple officers as he attempted to evade capture by fleeing on foot into a residence. Full details below: <a href="https://t.co/wWh7tofJF2">pic.twitter.com/wWh7tofJF2</a>&mdash; Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) <a href="https://twitter.com/LawrenceKS_PD/status/1653474442310238223?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Dash camera video shows the officers as they witness a white pickup truck driving recklessly near 7th&nbsp;and Vermont about 8:20p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp; Officers move to their patrol vehicles, activate lights and sirens, attempt to pull the vehicle over, and begin pursuit when the driver doesn’t comply.&nbsp; The truck continues and drives the wrong way on Tennessee Street, stops at a red light but remains in the truck, cuts in front of a city bus, then continues driving erratically through neighborhood streets and ultimately through a yard.&nbsp;&nbsp; The suspect eventually pulls into a residence in the 800 block of Morning Dove Court and refuses to exit the vehicle.&nbsp; After several attempts to get the driver to exit the truck, he flees into the residence and officers follow.&nbsp;&nbsp;Inside the residence, the suspect continued to resist, using physical force, but officers were able to get him into custody after a physical struggle.&nbsp;One officer suffered minor injuries and did not require medical attention. The injured Sergeant, who was first in line entering the home, was taken to the hospital where he was treated for multiple injuries and contusions, and subsequently released.The suspect, 44-year-old Craig Gunther, was arrested on numerous requested charges including Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Felony Interference.The Sergeant is at home recovering.&nbsp; He is expected to make a full recovery, but authorities do not have an estimated timeline.

🎥Kan. officer injured during arrest of fleeing suspect

LABETTE COUNTY – Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents, along with the Parsons Police Department and the Labette County Sheriff’s Office, arrested two subjects following an investigation, and the execution of a search warrant in Parsons, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop, and executed a search warrant at 1720 Dirr Avenue in Parsons.

Pills believed to contain fentanyl were located at the residence. Also discovered was cocaine, methamphetamine, drug use paraphernalia, and drug sale paraphernalia.

Following the search, Vincent S. Janssen Sr., 56, of Parsons, was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiates with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, possession of cocaine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, possession of use paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a firearm.

Melissa L. Oja, 50, of Parsons, was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiates with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, possession of cocaine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, possession of use paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a firearm.

Both are being held in the Labette County Jail.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683060905194.png" alt="Janssen-photo Labette Co." />
 <figcaption>Janssen-photo Labette Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>LABETTE COUNTY – Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agents, along with the Parsons Police Department and the Labette County Sheriff’s Office, arrested two subjects following an investigation, and the execution of a search warrant in Parsons, Kansas, according to a media release from the KBI.At approximately 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop, and executed a search warrant at 1720 Dirr Avenue in Parsons.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1683060849745.png" alt="Oja-photo Labette Co." />
 <figcaption>Oja-photo Labette Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Pills believed to contain fentanyl were located at the residence. Also discovered was cocaine, methamphetamine, drug use paraphernalia, and drug sale paraphernalia.Following the search, Vincent S. Janssen Sr., 56, of Parsons, was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiates with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, possession of cocaine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, possession of use paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a firearm.Melissa L. Oja, 50, of Parsons, was arrested on requested charges of possession of opiates with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, possession of cocaine, possession of sale drug paraphernalia, possession of use paraphernalia, and criminal possession of a firearm.Both are being held in the Labette County Jail.&nbsp;

KBI agents find fentanyl pills, cocaine at home near a school

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration have been tracking a balloon that was flying off the coast of Hawaii last week, but a defense official said Tuesday there's no indication it is connected to China or any other adversary, and it presents no threats to aviation or national security.

The balloon was first detected by radar on Friday and “Pacific Air Forces launched three F-22s to assess the situation and visually identified a spherical object,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said. “We monitored the transit of the object and assessed that it posed no threat.”

The defense official said the balloon was floating at about 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), and it did not fly over any critical defense infrastructure or sensitive sites. After determining that the balloon presented no threat to people on the ground or to aviation over Hawaii, the military took no action to bring it down, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

It’s not clear who owns the balloon, which has now passed out of Hawaii’s airspace, the official said.

The latest balloon sighting comes about three months after the U.S. military shot down what officials said was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;that crossed Alaska and part of Canada before returning to the U.S. and triggering widespread interest as it flew across the country. It was shot down over the Atlantic off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4. Large portions of the balloon were recovered by the U.S. military.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675547938768.png" alt="Image of the spy balloon that flew over Kansas in February and was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean-p hoto by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV" />
 <figcaption>Image of the spy balloon that flew over Kansas in February and was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean-p hoto by meteorologist Robert Whitehurst courtesy WMBF TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration have been tracking a balloon that was flying off the coast of Hawaii last week, but a defense official said Tuesday there's no indication it is connected to China or any other adversary, and it presents no threats to aviation or national security.The balloon was first detected by radar on Friday and “Pacific Air Forces launched three F-22s to assess the situation and visually identified a spherical object,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said. “We monitored the transit of the object and assessed that it posed no threat.”The defense official said the balloon was floating at about 36,000 feet (11,000 meters), and it did not fly over any critical defense infrastructure or sensitive sites. After determining that the balloon presented no threat to people on the ground or to aviation over Hawaii, the military took no action to bring it down, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.It’s not clear who owns the balloon, which has now passed out of Hawaii’s airspace, the official said.The latest balloon sighting comes about three months after the U.S. military shot down what officials said was a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chinese-balloon-military-involvement-e45c759cb00294e83989fa35970935bc">Chinese spy balloon</a>&nbsp;that crossed Alaska and part of Canada before returning to the U.S. and triggering widespread interest as it flew across the country. It was shot down over the Atlantic off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4. Large portions of the balloon were recovered by the U.S. military.U.S. officials said it was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries. Beijing insisted the balloon was just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and had only limited “self-steering” capabilities.The U.S. military acknowledged there have been several other balloons that have been tracked over and near the U.S. in recent years, but none lingered over America for as long as that one did. The incident further eroded relations between the U.S. and China.