SALINE COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred early Sunday morning in Saline County and have two suspects in custody.
At approximately 2:30 a.m., an officer from the Salina Police Department observed a silver 2006 Lincoln Town Car that failed to stop at multiple stop signs. When the officer initiated a traffic stop on North Ninth St. in Thomas Park in Salina, the driver of the vehicle did not stop, and a pursuit began. An occupant of the Town Car fired multiple shots at the officer’s vehicle, and the officer was struck once in his foot.
The officer continued pursuing the Town Car north on Ninth St., then West on Pleasant Hill Rd., and South on Halstead Rd. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office and the Salina Police Department set up stop sticks near Halstead Rd. and I-70 in an effort to deflate the approaching vehicle’s tires. As they attempted to deploy the devices, an occupant of the vehicle fired at them. One police officer and one deputy returned fire. The vehicle’s tires were not deflated, and the chase continued.
The driver lost control of the Town Car near West Crawford St. and Halstead Rd., and it crashed into a ditch. The subjects fled on foot. A 37-year-old male from Wichita was located in a nearby field. He was taken into custody.
A search for the second suspect continued into Sunday afternoon. Based on information that the KBI developed, KHP troopers were able to locate the vehicle the 36-year-old man was traveling after a Capitol police officer spotted the silver vehicle near the I-70 East Topeka Turnpike Interchange, according to office Jose Saucedo.
KHP troopers made a felony stop on the Turnpike and took the man into custody without incident, according to the KBI.
EMS transported the Salina Police officer to the Salina Regional Hospital for treatment. He is expected to fully recover.
Authorities released no additional details.
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SALINA —A Salina police officer was shot Sunday during a chase that began in north Salina and one of two suspects remains at large.
Just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday, a Salina police officer observed a vehicle failing to stop for multiple stops signs in north Salina, according to a media release. When the officer activated his emergency lights and siren to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle fled.
At the beginning of the pursuit, an occupant of the vehicle fired multiple gun shots at the pursuing police vehicle on North Ninth Street near Thomas Park. One of these rounds fired by the suspect struck the pursuing officer in his foot.
The vehicle pursuit left the Salina city limits on North Ninth Street and West Pleasant Hill Road with two Salina police officers pursuing the vehicle, according to police.
During the pursuit in Saline County, officers and Saline County Sheriff's deputies attempted to set up vehicle tire deflating devices in front of the fleeing vehicle. They, too, were fired upon by occupants of the fleeing vehicle while attempting to place these tire deflating devices on North Halstead Road near Interstate 70. Both the deputy and the officer returned fire.
A 2:40 a.m., the fleeing vehicle left the roadway and crashed in the area of West Crawford and South Halstead Road.
The occupants of the vehicle fled from the vehicle. One occupant, a 37-year-old man from Wichita, was located hiding in a nearby field and taken into custody and a second suspect is still at large, according to information from SPD.
The SPD, the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the Kansas Highway Patrol have multiple personnel at the scene and are actively looking for the additional suspect who is believed to be armed and extremely dangerous.
The Salina police officer who was shot was transported to the Salina Regional Health Center by a Salina Fire Department EMS unit. He is presently in stable condition and it is anticipated he will make a full recovery, SPD reported.
The KBI has been called in to take over the investigation regarding this officer involved shooting.