SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a series of crimes and two high speed police chases including one that injured another motorist.&nbsp;

Sean McKenzie, 42 of Wichita, was convicted of nine felony crimes, including gun and drug charges, aggravated battery, and two counts of fleeing police, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney. All of the crimes occurred in August of 2020.

McKenzie’s attorney argued that her client deserved a lesser sentence because he had a leg amputated after crashing his car while fleeing from police. McKenzie’s attorney also asked for drug treatment for her client.&nbsp; The judge&nbsp;denied the request for the lesser sentence.

McKenzie’s cases began on August 11, when Wichita Police found a gun and methamphetamine in his car. He was arrested at the time and later released from custody while the investigation continued.

On August 14th, McKenzie fled Wichita Police at a high rate of speed after they attempted to stop his car. McKenzie crashed into another vehicle, causing facial and leg injuries to the other motorist. McKenzie ran from the crash scene and was not apprehended.

On August, 17, police were looking for McKenzie when they spotted his car. He again tried to drive away from officers, but crashed into a telephone pole and a tree. He suffered critical leg injuries in the crash. Officers applied a tourniquet to his leg, but doctors could not save it.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615329175504.png" alt="Mckenzie photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Mckenzie photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a series of crimes and two high speed police chases including one that injured another motorist.&nbsp;Sean McKenzie, 42 of Wichita, was convicted of nine felony crimes, including gun and drug charges, aggravated battery, and two counts of fleeing police, according to the Sedgwick District Attorney. All of the crimes occurred in August of 2020.McKenzie’s attorney argued that her client deserved a lesser sentence because he had a leg amputated after crashing his car while fleeing from police. McKenzie’s attorney also asked for drug treatment for her client.&nbsp; The judge&nbsp;denied the request for the lesser sentence.McKenzie’s cases began on August 11, when Wichita Police found a gun and methamphetamine in his car. He was arrested at the time and later released from custody while the investigation continued.On August 14th, McKenzie fled Wichita Police at a high rate of speed after they attempted to stop his car. McKenzie crashed into another vehicle, causing facial and leg injuries to the other motorist. McKenzie ran from the crash scene and was not apprehended.On August, 17, police were looking for McKenzie when they spotted his car. He again tried to drive away from officers, but crashed into a telephone pole and a tree. He suffered critical leg injuries in the crash. Officers applied a tourniquet to his leg, but doctors could not save it.

Kan. man who lost leg after police chase sentenced 

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A white Kansas City police officer who sprayed a 15-year-old Black girl with chemicals during racial injustice protests last summer was indicted Friday on misdemeanor assault, prosecutors said.

Officer Nicholas McQuillen, 38, will be issued a summons to appear later in court, Jackson County prosecutors said after the county’s grand jury delivered the indictment.

According to charging documents, the girl was with her father, siblings and friends on May 30 at protests along the Country Club Plaza that were sparked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-pay-27-million-settle-floyd-family-lawsuit-52a395f7716f52cf8d1fbeb411c831c7">the killing of George Floyd</a>, a Black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. Protesters were on sidewalks while police lined the streets.

Police said the girl’s father, who’s Black, was repeatedly told to stay on the sidewalk or he would be arrested, but the man later said he did not hear those commands.

Videos show the father standing on the street, within 1 or 2 feet of the sidewalk, shouting at officers. The girl was next to him, according to court documents.

Video shows McQuillen and another officer moving toward the man and girl, but they do not make any statement to them or tell them they are under arrest, according to court documents. At this point, the man is back on the sidewalk, and there is “no evidence of information about the need to immediately arrest (the man),” the documents said, and no evidence that McQuillen contacted a supervisor or officers other than the one who was with him.

The videos also show McQuillen and the other officer trying to pull the man into the street while his family and friends try to keep him on the sidewalk. The movement caused the girl to be between McQuillen and the man, which led to her hands touching McQuillen’s vest.

At that point, McQuillen raised the MK-90 fogger, a chemical spray used to control crowds, and sprayed the girl in the face, according to the court documents. She told investigators she suffered pain in her eyes and a burning sensation on her arms but did not seek medical attention.

It was not immediately clear if McQuillen has an attorney.

The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that it was disappointed the prosecuting attorney would charge McQuillen when he “employed the lowest level of force available to him,” The Kansas City Star reported.

“We believe this charge has no merit and the FOP will fully support Officer McQuillen as he challenges it in Court,” the statement said.

Attorney Tom Porto, who is representing the victim, said in a statement called the officer’s conduct “absolutely indefensible.”

“A 15-year-old girl had the equivalent of bear spray sprayed in her face from centimeters away,” Porto said. “The grand jury got it right.”

Kansas City police spokeswoman Officer Donna Drake said McQuillen has been with the department since 2014 and is assigned to the Patrol Bureau.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1590925487256.png" alt="Police in Kansas City at the scene of May 2020 protests photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police in Kansas City at the scene of May 2020 protests photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A white Kansas City police officer who sprayed a 15-year-old Black girl with chemicals during racial injustice protests last summer was indicted Friday on misdemeanor assault, prosecutors said.Officer Nicholas McQuillen, 38, will be issued a summons to appear later in court, Jackson County prosecutors said after the county’s grand jury delivered the indictment.According to charging documents, the girl was with her father, siblings and friends on May 30 at protests along the Country Club Plaza that were sparked by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-pay-27-million-settle-floyd-family-lawsuit-52a395f7716f52cf8d1fbeb411c831c7">the killing of George Floyd</a>, a Black man, at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. Protesters were on sidewalks while police lined the streets.Police said the girl’s father, who’s Black, was repeatedly told to stay on the sidewalk or he would be arrested, but the man later said he did not hear those commands.Videos show the father standing on the street, within 1 or 2 feet of the sidewalk, shouting at officers. The girl was next to him, according to court documents.Video shows McQuillen and another officer moving toward the man and girl, but they do not make any statement to them or tell them they are under arrest, according to court documents. At this point, the man is back on the sidewalk, and there is “no evidence of information about the need to immediately arrest (the man),” the documents said, and no evidence that McQuillen contacted a supervisor or officers other than the one who was with him.The videos also show McQuillen and the other officer trying to pull the man into the street while his family and friends try to keep him on the sidewalk. The movement caused the girl to be between McQuillen and the man, which led to her hands touching McQuillen’s vest.At that point, McQuillen raised the MK-90 fogger, a chemical spray used to control crowds, and sprayed the girl in the face, according to the court documents. She told investigators she suffered pain in her eyes and a burning sensation on her arms but did not seek medical attention.It was not immediately clear if McQuillen has an attorney.The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement that it was disappointed the prosecuting attorney would charge McQuillen when he “employed the lowest level of force available to him,” The Kansas City Star reported.“We believe this charge has no merit and the FOP will fully support Officer McQuillen as he challenges it in Court,” the statement said.Attorney Tom Porto, who is representing the victim, said in a statement called the officer’s conduct “absolutely indefensible.”“A 15-year-old girl had the equivalent of bear spray sprayed in her face from centimeters away,” Porto said. “The grand jury got it right.”Kansas City police spokeswoman Officer Donna Drake said McQuillen has been with the department since 2014 and is assigned to the Patrol Bureau.

Kansas City officer who sprayed teenage protester indicted

WASHINGTON (AP) —As members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group shouldered their way through the mob and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, their plans for Jan. 6 were clear, authorities say. “Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud,” someone commanded over an encrypted messaging app some extremists used to communicate during the siege.

A little while earlier, Proud Boys carrying two-way radios and wearing earpieces spread out and tried to blend in with the crowd as they invaded the Capitol led by a man assigned “war powers” to oversee the group’s attack, prosecutors say.

These two extremist groups that traveled to Washington along with thousands of other Trump supporters weren’t whipped into an impulsive frenzy by President Donald Trump that day, officials say. They’d been laying attack plans. And their internal communications and other evidence emerging in court papers and in hearings show how authorities are trying to build a case that small&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-extremist-groups-80e309418abecd0b1d50ec4762e6d9c6">cells hidden within the masses</a>&nbsp;mounted an organized, military-style assault on the heart of American democracy.

“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing.

The Proud Boys and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-4ae41a1dc529fc96879c618b5b64126d">the Oath Keepers make up a fraction</a>&nbsp;of the more than 300 Trump supporters charged so far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the siege</a>&nbsp;that led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">Trump’s second impeachment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/docs-expose-depth-january-6-capitol-siege-chaos-fd3204574c11e453be8fb4e3c81258c3">resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer</a>. But several of their leaders, members and associates have become the central targets of the Justice Department’s sprawling investigation.

It could mean more serious criminal charges for some rioters. On the other hand, mounting evidence of advance planning could also fuel Trump’s and his supporters’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-trial-update-2-12-2021-f831653160706c49987c9d33228ccbbb">claims that the Republican former president did not incite the riot</a>&nbsp;and therefore should not be liable for it.

Defense attorneys have accused prosecutors of distorting their clients’ words and actions to falsely portray the attack as a premeditated, orchestrated insurrection instead of a spontaneous outpouring of election-fueled rage to stop Congress’ certification of Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.

And prosecutors’ case against a man described as a leader in the Proud Boys’ attack took a hit last week when a judge ordered him released while he awaits trial, calling some of the evidence against him “weak to say the least.”

The Oath Keepers began readying for violence as early as last November, authorities say. Communications show the group discussing logistics, weapons and training, including “2 days of wargames.”

“I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, one Ohio member, Jessica Watkins, told a recruit in November, according to court documents. “If Biden becomes president our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights,” she said in another message later that month.

As Jan. 6 neared, they discussed stationing a “quick reaction force” outside Washington that could bring in weapons “if something goes to hell,” according to court documents. Days before the attack, one man suggested getting a boat to ferry “heavy weapons” across the Potomac River into their “waiting arms.”

“I believe we will have to get violent to stop this,” that man, Thomas Caldwell of Virginia, said in a November message to Watkins. On Jan. 1, he took to Facebook to decry what he viewed as a rigged election, saying “we must smite them now and drive them down,” authorities say.

Authorities have acknowledged there’s no evidence Caldwell was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but have described him as a supporter who appeared to play a “leadership role” within the group.

There were plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-politics-impeachments-7d2334edf7da4e2d50e4c6f1f386dec1">some Oath Keepers</a>&nbsp;to be there in “grey man” mode without identifiable militia gear so they could blend in with the crowd.

“For every Oath Keeper you see, there are at least two you don’t see,” said a Jan. 4 email sent to members.

Two days before the attack, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-tarrio-proud-boys-arrested-d00d08b026669c150832d1e4c19aeab6">Proud Boys’ top leader, Enrique Tarrio,</a>&nbsp;was arrested shortly after he arrived in Washington and was charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a December protest.

Tarrio was ordered to stay away from the nation’s capital, so Ethan Nordean was given “war powers” to take charge of the group’s Jan. 6 activities, prosecutors say.

Nordean, a Proud Boys chapter president from Washington state known as Ruffio Panman, tapped his social media following to solicit donations of money and tactical gear for the rally, prosecutors said. On the day of Tarrio’s arrest, Nordean posted a link to a podcast in which he discussed baseless claims about fraud in the election.

“Democracy is dead? Well, then no peace for you. No democracy, no peace,” he said.

Publicly, Tarrio announced on social media that the Proud Boys wouldn’t be wearing their customary yellow-and-black polo shirts on Jan. 6 so they could be “incognito.” Joseph Biggs, a self-described Proud Boys organizer from Florida, echoed that in a social media post directed at counter-protesters.

“We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us,” Biggs wrote. “We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you.”

Privately, according to prosecutors, the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios, Chinese-made devices that can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.

One of the Proud Boys who heeded the call to meet in Washington was Dominic Pezzola. He traveled from Syracuse, New York, on Jan. 5 and stayed with other members at a hotel, authorities say.

Another group of members came from the Kansas City area. Investigators believe their chapter leader, William Chrestman, brought a helmet, a gas mask and an ax handle that he would conceal as a flag.

They were ready for a fight, prosecutors say.

Long before the riot, Trump refused to condemn the Proud Boys during his Sept. 29 presidential debate against Biden, instead saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">the group should “stand back and stand by.”</a>&nbsp;Proud Boys members celebrated his words on social media, before the president later claimed not to know who they were. It’s unclear whether the Oath Keepers were on the White House radar.

Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.

The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized group of extremists who actively recruit current and former military, police and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies — foreign or domestic.

In the weeks before the attack, Trump and his supporters were making increasingly false and incendiary comments, designed to mobilize supporters to work to overturn the election results — even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">there was no widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;in the election, as was confirmed by election officials across the country and by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">Trump’s attorney general</a>.

Trump encouraged thousands at the rally preceding the riot to “fight like hell,” but lawyers for the former president adamantly denied during his impeachment trial that he had incited the attack. They pointed to a remark during his speech in which he told the crowd to behave “peacefully” that day.

He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;of inciting the riot after he was impeached by the House, but GOP leaders said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-acquittals-impeachments-6fb642f97be5f2bd202e8bc002d6a167">more appropriate venue</a>&nbsp;for his actions could be the courts.

As the mob swarmed the Capitol, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, was communicating with some of the alleged rioters.

“All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything. So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They’ve had enough,” he said in a Signal message to a group around 1:40 p.m., authorities say. A little later, Rhodes, who has not been charged in the attack, instructed the group to “come to South Side of Capitol on steps.”

Around 2:40 p.m., members of a military-style “stack” who moved up Capitol stairs in a line entered the building through a door on the east side, authorities say. Lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the House and Senate chambers just about 20 minutes earlier.

“We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it. They are throwing grenades, they are fricking shooting people with paint balls. But we are in here,” Watkins declared over a channel called Stop the Steal J6 on the walkie-talkie app Zello.

“Get it, Jess. ... Everything we (expletive) trained for,” someone responded, according to the communications&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/zello-tapes-walkie-talkie-app-used-during-insurrection-on-the-media" target="_blank">obtained by WNYC’s “On the Media” program</a>&nbsp;and detailed in court documents.

Caldwell, who did not join the stack, climbed up to the west side balcony, authorities say.

“We are surging forward, doors breached,” he said in a Facebook message about 10 minutes after the group went inside, according to court documents. Roughly 15 minutes later he sent another message: “Inside.”

Caldwell received a Facebook message saying “all members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in,” authorities said. “Turn on gas,” the message said.

Hours after the siege, Caldwell was already talking about another attack “at the local level,” authorities say.

“If we’d had guns I guarantee we would have killed 100 politicians. They ran off and were spirited away through their underground tunnels like the rats they were,” Caldwell said in a message to a friend.

The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument and were already at the Capitol before Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House. Listening to the president’s speech wasn’t part of their plan, prosecutors say.

Nordean led the way with a bullhorn while they wore headgear marked with orange tape. Pezzola appeared to have an earpiece in his right ear. Biggs had what looked like a walkie-talkie device on his chest.

Nordean was spotted having a brief exchange near the Capitol with Robert Gieswein, a bat-wielding Colorado man. Proud Boys planning for Jan. 6 had discussed using non-members, or “normies,” like Gieswein to “burn that city to ash” and “smash some pigs to dust,” prosecutors said.

The Proud Boys arrived at the east side of the Capitol before noon. Nordean allegedly positioned them at a Capitol grounds pedestrian entrance guarded by a handful of police officers behind a movable metal barrier.

Around 12:50 p.m., just before the joint session of Congress was scheduled to start, a crowd including Proud Boys members broke through a front line of Capitol police officers and past sets of metal barriers. Nordean moved to the front of the crowd and “stalked” the line of officers to intimidate them and rile up the crowd, prosecutors wrote.

As the mob advanced to another line of officers in the Capitol’s west plaza, Chrestman faced them and shouted, “Do you want your house back?”

Gieswein and Pezzola were among the first to enter the Capitol, through a window Pezzola shattered with a riot shield that he snatched from police, prosecutors say. It took Pezzola more than an hour to fight his way from the exterior of the Capitol grounds to the building’s interior, they say.

Inside, Pezzola joined others in confronting Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who led the mob away from an entrance to the Senate chamber. Pezzola later took a video of himself smoking a cigar.

“Victory smoke in the Capitol, boys,” he said.

Nine people linked to the Oath Keepers have been indicted on charges that they planned and coordinated with one another in the siege. At least 11 leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys charged in the riots are accused by the Justice Department of participating in a coordinated attack.

Several from both groups remain in federal custody while awaiting trial.

Their defense attorneys say prosecutors have painted a misleading account of the day’s events based on shaky evidence. Other lawyers for those charged with storming the Capitol have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-us-news-75b5963841a2263fe8d79b1d18ef552b">pin the blame on Trump for inciting the rioters</a>.

Nordean’s lawyers said prosecutors haven’t presented any evidence that he used encrypted communications to lead a group’s attack on the Capitol. While the government said investigators found a Baofeng radio in Nordean’s home, his lawyers said he did not obtain it until after the day after the riot.

“The government has made repeated claims about Ethan’s activities and then backed away from them without providing any support,” said one of his attorneys, Nicholas Smith.

Caldwell’s lawyer has accused prosecutors of twisting social media posts and messages to make fantastic claims with no hard evidence that any person or group had a premeditated plan to storm the Capitol. David Fischer described Caldwell as a Hollywood-addicted amateur screenwriter full of bravado. The prosecutors’ case is heavy on “dramatic language” but “light on specifics,” the lawyer said in a recent court filing.

“What time was the ‘invasion’ scheduled to begin? Who would lead the attack? What was the goal once the planners entered the Capitol? Who was the leader in the attack? What was the exit strategy of the planners?” Fischer wrote.

Fischer said prosecutors’ case crumbles when closely examined. The “quick reaction force” prosecutors have alleged the Oath Keepers were planning, for example, was actually one person — an obese man in his late 60s with a bad back — who planned to come to their aid if they were attacked by left-wing protesters, Fischer said.

During a hearing last month in which a judge ordered him to remain behind bars while he awaits trial, Caldwell exclaimed that his messages were being “taken out of context.”

“These Oath Keepers thought they — ” he said, before the audio was disconnected and the judge cut in to warn him that anything he said could be used against him by prosecutors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1613070062571.png" alt="In February, a Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge ordered&nbsp; that 47-year-old William Chrestman of Olathe be taken from Kansas to Washington to be held until his trial. Chrestman is charged with conspiracy and several other counts. Federal authorities allege he led members of the Kansas City-area Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6.&nbsp; photo Wyandotte County Jail" />
 <figcaption>In February, a Capitol. Chief U.S. District Judge ordered&nbsp; that 47-year-old William Chrestman of Olathe be taken from Kansas to Washington to be held until his trial. Chrestman is charged with conspiracy and several other counts. Federal authorities allege he led members of the Kansas City-area Proud Boys who stormed the Capitol Jan. 6.&nbsp; photo Wyandotte County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —As members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group shouldered their way through the mob and up the steps to the U.S. Capitol, their plans for Jan. 6 were clear, authorities say. “Arrest this assembly, we have probable cause for acts of treason, election fraud,” someone commanded over an encrypted messaging app some extremists used to communicate during the siege.A little while earlier, Proud Boys carrying two-way radios and wearing earpieces spread out and tried to blend in with the crowd as they invaded the Capitol led by a man assigned “war powers” to oversee the group’s attack, prosecutors say.These two extremist groups that traveled to Washington along with thousands of other Trump supporters weren’t whipped into an impulsive frenzy by President Donald Trump that day, officials say. They’d been laying attack plans. And their internal communications and other evidence emerging in court papers and in hearings show how authorities are trying to build a case that small&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-extremist-groups-80e309418abecd0b1d50ec4762e6d9c6">cells hidden within the masses</a>&nbsp;mounted an organized, military-style assault on the heart of American democracy.“This was not simply a march. This was an incredible attack on our institutions of government,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough said during a recent hearing.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614042711157.png" alt="Protesters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protesters at the U.S. Capitol on January 6-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>The Proud Boys and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/capitol-siege-ohio-4ae41a1dc529fc96879c618b5b64126d">the Oath Keepers make up a fraction</a>&nbsp;of the more than 300 Trump supporters charged so far in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">the siege</a>&nbsp;that led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860">Trump’s second impeachment</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/docs-expose-depth-january-6-capitol-siege-chaos-fd3204574c11e453be8fb4e3c81258c3">resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer</a>. But several of their leaders, members and associates have become the central targets of the Justice Department’s sprawling investigation.It could mean more serious criminal charges for some rioters. On the other hand, mounting evidence of advance planning could also fuel Trump’s and his supporters’&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-trial-update-2-12-2021-f831653160706c49987c9d33228ccbbb">claims that the Republican former president did not incite the riot</a>&nbsp;and therefore should not be liable for it.Defense attorneys have accused prosecutors of distorting their clients’ words and actions to falsely portray the attack as a premeditated, orchestrated insurrection instead of a spontaneous outpouring of election-fueled rage to stop Congress’ certification of Trump’s defeat by Democrat Joe Biden.And prosecutors’ case against a man described as a leader in the Proud Boys’ attack took a hit last week when a judge ordered him released while he awaits trial, calling some of the evidence against him “weak to say the least.”___The Oath Keepers began readying for violence as early as last November, authorities say. Communications show the group discussing logistics, weapons and training, including “2 days of wargames.”“I need you fighting fit” by the inauguration, one Ohio member, Jessica Watkins, told a recruit in November, according to court documents. “If Biden becomes president our way of life as we know it is over. Our Republic would be over. Then it is our duty as Americans to fight, kill and die for our rights,” she said in another message later that month.As Jan. 6 neared, they discussed stationing a “quick reaction force” outside Washington that could bring in weapons “if something goes to hell,” according to court documents. Days before the attack, one man suggested getting a boat to ferry “heavy weapons” across the Potomac River into their “waiting arms.”“I believe we will have to get violent to stop this,” that man, Thomas Caldwell of Virginia, said in a November message to Watkins. On Jan. 1, he took to Facebook to decry what he viewed as a rigged election, saying “we must smite them now and drive them down,” authorities say.Authorities have acknowledged there’s no evidence Caldwell was a dues-paying member of the Oath Keepers but have described him as a supporter who appeared to play a “leadership role” within the group.There were plans for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-politics-impeachments-7d2334edf7da4e2d50e4c6f1f386dec1">some Oath Keepers</a>&nbsp;to be there in “grey man” mode without identifiable militia gear so they could blend in with the crowd.“For every Oath Keeper you see, there are at least two you don’t see,” said a Jan. 4 email sent to members.____Two days before the attack, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/henry-tarrio-proud-boys-arrested-d00d08b026669c150832d1e4c19aeab6">Proud Boys’ top leader, Enrique Tarrio,</a>&nbsp;was arrested shortly after he arrived in Washington and was charged with vandalizing a Black Lives Matter banner at a historic Black church during a December protest.Tarrio was ordered to stay away from the nation’s capital, so Ethan Nordean was given “war powers” to take charge of the group’s Jan. 6 activities, prosecutors say.Nordean, a Proud Boys chapter president from Washington state known as Ruffio Panman, tapped his social media following to solicit donations of money and tactical gear for the rally, prosecutors said. On the day of Tarrio’s arrest, Nordean posted a link to a podcast in which he discussed baseless claims about fraud in the election.“Democracy is dead? Well, then no peace for you. No democracy, no peace,” he said.Publicly, Tarrio announced on social media that the Proud Boys wouldn’t be wearing their customary yellow-and-black polo shirts on Jan. 6 so they could be “incognito.” Joseph Biggs, a self-described Proud Boys organizer from Florida, echoed that in a social media post directed at counter-protesters.“We will be blending in as one of you. You won’t see us,” Biggs wrote. “We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you.”Privately, according to prosecutors, the Proud Boys arranged for members to communicate using specific frequencies on Baofeng radios, Chinese-made devices that can be programmed for use on hundreds of frequencies, making it difficult for outsiders to eavesdrop.One of the Proud Boys who heeded the call to meet in Washington was Dominic Pezzola. He traveled from Syracuse, New York, on Jan. 5 and stayed with other members at a hotel, authorities say.Another group of members came from the Kansas City area. Investigators believe their chapter leader, William Chrestman, brought a helmet, a gas mask and an ax handle that he would conceal as a flag.They were ready for a fight, prosecutors say.___Long before the riot, Trump refused to condemn the Proud Boys during his Sept. 29 presidential debate against Biden, instead saying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-race-and-ethnicity-donald-trump-chris-wallace-0b32339da25fbc9e8b7c7c7066a1db0f">the group should “stand back and stand by.”</a>&nbsp;Proud Boys members celebrated his words on social media, before the president later claimed not to know who they were. It’s unclear whether the Oath Keepers were on the White House radar.Proud Boys members, who describe themselves as a politically incorrect men’s club for “Western chauvinists,” have frequently engaged in street fights with antifascist activists at rallies and protests. Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016, sued the Southern Poverty Law Center for labeling it as a hate group.The Oath Keepers are a loosely organized group of extremists who actively recruit current and former military, police and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies — foreign or domestic.In the weeks before the attack, Trump and his supporters were making increasingly false and incendiary comments, designed to mobilize supporters to work to overturn the election results — even though&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-ap-fact-check-joe-biden-donald-trump-technology-49a24edd6d10888dbad61689c24b05a5">there was no widespread fraud</a>&nbsp;in the election, as was confirmed by election officials across the country and by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/barr-no-widespread-election-fraud-b1f1488796c9a98c4b1a9061a6c7f49d">Trump’s attorney general</a>.Trump encouraged thousands at the rally preceding the riot to “fight like hell,” but lawyers for the former president adamantly denied during his impeachment trial that he had incited the attack. They pointed to a remark during his speech in which he told the crowd to behave “peacefully” that day.He was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-trials-impeachments-b245b52fd7d4a079ae199c954baba452">acquitted in a Senate trial</a>&nbsp;of inciting the riot after he was impeached by the House, but GOP leaders said a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-riots-acquittals-impeachments-6fb642f97be5f2bd202e8bc002d6a167">more appropriate venue</a>&nbsp;for his actions could be the courts.___As the mob swarmed the Capitol, Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, was communicating with some of the alleged rioters.“All I see Trump doing is complaining. I see no intent by him to do anything. So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They’ve had enough,” he said in a Signal message to a group around 1:40 p.m., authorities say. A little later, Rhodes, who has not been charged in the attack, instructed the group to “come to South Side of Capitol on steps.”Around 2:40 p.m., members of a military-style “stack” who moved up Capitol stairs in a line entered the building through a door on the east side, authorities say. Lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence had been evacuated from the House and Senate chambers just about 20 minutes earlier.“We are in the mezzanine. We are in the main dome right now. We are rocking it. They are throwing grenades, they are fricking shooting people with paint balls. But we are in here,” Watkins declared over a channel called Stop the Steal J6 on the walkie-talkie app Zello.“Get it, Jess. ... Everything we (expletive) trained for,” someone responded, according to the communications&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/zello-tapes-walkie-talkie-app-used-during-insurrection-on-the-media" target="_blank">obtained by WNYC’s “On the Media” program</a>&nbsp;and detailed in court documents.Caldwell, who did not join the stack, climbed up to the west side balcony, authorities say.“We are surging forward, doors breached,” he said in a Facebook message about 10 minutes after the group went inside, according to court documents. Roughly 15 minutes later he sent another message: “Inside.”Caldwell received a Facebook message saying “all members are in the tunnels under capital seal them in,” authorities said. “Turn on gas,” the message said.Hours after the siege, Caldwell was already talking about another attack “at the local level,” authorities say.“If we’d had guns I guarantee we would have killed 100 politicians. They ran off and were spirited away through their underground tunnels like the rats they were,” Caldwell said in a message to a friend.___The Proud Boys met at the Washington Monument and were already at the Capitol before Trump finished addressing thousands of supporters near the White House. Listening to the president’s speech wasn’t part of their plan, prosecutors say.Nordean led the way with a bullhorn while they wore headgear marked with orange tape. Pezzola appeared to have an earpiece in his right ear. Biggs had what looked like a walkie-talkie device on his chest.Nordean was spotted having a brief exchange near the Capitol with Robert Gieswein, a bat-wielding Colorado man. Proud Boys planning for Jan. 6 had discussed using non-members, or “normies,” like Gieswein to “burn that city to ash” and “smash some pigs to dust,” prosecutors said.The Proud Boys arrived at the east side of the Capitol before noon. Nordean allegedly positioned them at a Capitol grounds pedestrian entrance guarded by a handful of police officers behind a movable metal barrier.Around 12:50 p.m., just before the joint session of Congress was scheduled to start, a crowd including Proud Boys members broke through a front line of Capitol police officers and past sets of metal barriers. Nordean moved to the front of the crowd and “stalked” the line of officers to intimidate them and rile up the crowd, prosecutors wrote.As the mob advanced to another line of officers in the Capitol’s west plaza, Chrestman faced them and shouted, “Do you want your house back?”“Yes!” the crowd replied.“Take it!” Chrestman yelled.Gieswein and Pezzola were among the first to enter the Capitol, through a window Pezzola shattered with a riot shield that he snatched from police, prosecutors say. It took Pezzola more than an hour to fight his way from the exterior of the Capitol grounds to the building’s interior, they say.Inside, Pezzola joined others in confronting Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who led the mob away from an entrance to the Senate chamber. Pezzola later took a video of himself smoking a cigar.“Victory smoke in the Capitol, boys,” he said.___Nine people linked to the Oath Keepers have been indicted on charges that they planned and coordinated with one another in the siege. At least 11 leaders, members or associates of the Proud Boys charged in the riots are accused by the Justice Department of participating in a coordinated attack.Several from both groups remain in federal custody while awaiting trial.Their defense attorneys say prosecutors have painted a misleading account of the day’s events based on shaky evidence. Other lawyers for those charged with storming the Capitol have tried to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-capitol-siege-us-news-75b5963841a2263fe8d79b1d18ef552b">pin the blame on Trump for inciting the rioters</a>.Nordean’s lawyers said prosecutors haven’t presented any evidence that he used encrypted communications to lead a group’s attack on the Capitol. While the government said investigators found a Baofeng radio in Nordean’s home, his lawyers said he did not obtain it until after the day after the riot.“The government has made repeated claims about Ethan’s activities and then backed away from them without providing any support,” said one of his attorneys, Nicholas Smith.Caldwell’s lawyer has accused prosecutors of twisting social media posts and messages to make fantastic claims with no hard evidence that any person or group had a premeditated plan to storm the Capitol. David Fischer described Caldwell as a Hollywood-addicted amateur screenwriter full of bravado. The prosecutors’ case is heavy on “dramatic language” but “light on specifics,” the lawyer said in a recent court filing.“What time was the ‘invasion’ scheduled to begin? Who would lead the attack? What was the goal once the planners entered the Capitol? Who was the leader in the attack? What was the exit strategy of the planners?” Fischer wrote.Fischer said prosecutors’ case crumbles when closely examined. The “quick reaction force” prosecutors have alleged the Oath Keepers were planning, for example, was actually one person — an obese man in his late 60s with a bad back — who planned to come to their aid if they were attacked by left-wing protesters, Fischer said.During a hearing last month in which a judge ordered him to remain behind bars while he awaits trial, Caldwell exclaimed that his messages were being “taken out of context.”“These Oath Keepers thought they — ” he said, before the audio was disconnected and the judge cut in to warn him that anything he said could be used against him by prosecutors.____

US narrows in on organized extremists in Capitol siege probe

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Missouri jail guard has been convicted of convincing her terminally ill father to fatally shoot her estranged husband with whom she was embroiled in a custody dispute before killing himself so it appeared to be a murder-suicide, prosecutors said Thursday.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office made the announcement five days after jurors found Elizabeth Kilgore guilty of first-degree murder, introducing a dangerous instrument into a county jail, acceding to corruption and possession of methamphetamine. Sentencing is set for April.

Prosecutors said 77-year-old Charles Sander killed his son-in-law, Lance Kilgore, and himself in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/62e6e6dc82864ade926237672b308db8">2018&nbsp;</a>during what was supposed to be a custody exchange of the couple’s then 2-year-old son at a convenience store in Osceola, about 90 miles&nbsp; southeast of Kansas City.

Witness testified at the trial that the defendant vowed that if Lance Kilgore sought custody of their son, she would kill him or have him killed.

After the couple separated, Elizabeth Kilgore moved in with her mother and began working at the St. Clair County Jail. While there, she asked two inmates for help killing her husband, a Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant wrote in charging documents.

She was fired one month before the killing after one of the inmates reported that she’d made the request. She admitted under questioning to smuggling the inmate contraband but denied the solicitation allegation.

In a recorded call, however, she can be heard telling the second inmate that her father had offered to “handle my problem for me.”

Prosecutors said she also suggested that she wanted methamphetamine for her dad, a convicted felon with an extensive history of drug-related arrests, so that he could “go out with a bang.” She also threatened to turn her dad in for drugs if he did not take care of Lance Kilgore, the release said.

The murder-suicide was captured on store surveillance video. Elizabeth Kilgore arrived minutes later in another vehicle with her son, explaining that she was “running late,” the sergeant wrote.

Prosecutors said that when she was arrested, police found methamphetamine in her car, a note from an inmate and more than $9000 in cash, which she admitted was her “run money.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615555034509.png" alt="Kilgore photo St. Clair County Jail" />
 <figcaption>Kilgore photo St. Clair County Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A former Missouri jail guard has been convicted of convincing her terminally ill father to fatally shoot her estranged husband with whom she was embroiled in a custody dispute before killing himself so it appeared to be a murder-suicide, prosecutors said Thursday.The Missouri Attorney General’s Office made the announcement five days after jurors found Elizabeth Kilgore guilty of first-degree murder, introducing a dangerous instrument into a county jail, acceding to corruption and possession of methamphetamine. Sentencing is set for April.Prosecutors said 77-year-old Charles Sander killed his son-in-law, Lance Kilgore, and himself in September&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/62e6e6dc82864ade926237672b308db8">2018&nbsp;</a>during what was supposed to be a custody exchange of the couple’s then 2-year-old son at a convenience store in Osceola, about 90 miles&nbsp; southeast of Kansas City.Witness testified at the trial that the defendant vowed that if Lance Kilgore sought custody of their son, she would kill him or have him killed.After the couple separated, Elizabeth Kilgore moved in with her mother and began working at the St. Clair County Jail. While there, she asked two inmates for help killing her husband, a Missouri State Highway Patrol sergeant wrote in charging documents.She was fired one month before the killing after one of the inmates reported that she’d made the request. She admitted under questioning to smuggling the inmate contraband but denied the solicitation allegation.In a recorded call, however, she can be heard telling the second inmate that her father had offered to “handle my problem for me.”Prosecutors said she also suggested that she wanted methamphetamine for her dad, a convicted felon with an extensive history of drug-related arrests, so that he could “go out with a bang.” She also threatened to turn her dad in for drugs if he did not take care of Lance Kilgore, the release said.The murder-suicide was captured on store surveillance video. Elizabeth Kilgore arrived minutes later in another vehicle with her son, explaining that she was “running late,” the sergeant wrote.Prosecutors said that when she was arrested, police found methamphetamine in her car, a note from an inmate and more than $9000 in cash, which she admitted was her “run money.”

Guilty: Woman who convinced dad to aid murder-suicide 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital.

Just after 7:00 pm on Thursday, police responded to a shooting call in the 1600 block of North Madison, according to officer Charley Davidson. 

Upon arrival, they located a 16-year-old boy in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to an area hospital in serious condition.

Officers located several shell casings in the area and a vehicle with damage from a bullet strike. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored Dodge Charger in the area at the time of the incident. 

Police had not reported an arrest late Thursday afternoon or provided an update on the teen's condition.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615583556224.png" alt="Police near the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the scene of the investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a teen to the hospital.Just after 7:00 pm on Thursday, police responded to a shooting call in the 1600 block of North Madison, according to officer Charley Davidson. Upon arrival, they located a 16-year-old boy in the street with multiple gunshot wounds. EMS transported him to an area hospital in serious condition.Officers located several shell casings in the area and a vehicle with damage from a bullet strike. Witnesses reported seeing a dark-colored Dodge Charger in the area at the time of the incident. Police had not reported an arrest late Thursday afternoon or provided an update on the teen's condition.

Police find Kan. teen in street with multiple gunshot wounds

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have identified a woman found fatally shot in Kansas City’s Pendleton Heights neighborhood.

The woman, identified Friday as 25-year-old Deja Veal, was found by officers who were on patrol nearby around 10 p.m. Wednesday when they heard gunshots. Veal was found lying in the street along Wabash Avenue after the officers searched the area, police said in a news release.

Arriving paramedics pronounced Veal dead at the scene.

Homicide detectives were called to the scene to gather evidence and canvass the area for witnesses, police said. No arrests or suspects in the shooting had been announced by Friday afternoon

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Police have identified a woman found fatally shot in Kansas City’s Pendleton Heights neighborhood.The woman, identified Friday as 25-year-old Deja Veal, was found by officers who were on patrol nearby around 10 p.m. Wednesday when they heard gunshots. Veal was found lying in the street along Wabash Avenue after the officers searched the area, police said in a news release.Arriving paramedics pronounced Veal dead at the scene.Homicide detectives were called to the scene to gather evidence and canvass the area for witnesses, police said. No arrests or suspects in the shooting had been announced by Friday afternoon

Police ID woman fatally shot in Kansas City neighborhood

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect involved in a fatal shooting&nbsp; is now in the Sedgwick County jail after moved from the hospital.

Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, deputies booked 26-year-old DeAdrian Johnson on requested charges of first-degree murder, according to<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20048028"> online jail records.&nbsp;</a>

Just after 11:15p.m. March 6, police responded to report of a shooting in the 1000 Block of North Volutstia in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.

At the scene, officers located Johnson, Christopher Terrell and a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds. Though their investigation, police learned Johnson had been using drugs.&nbsp; He shot and killed Terrell, wounded the 16-year-old and then turned the gun on himself, according to Captain Stephens.

Police arrested Johnson and are monitored him during his hospitalization.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615481352671.png" alt="Johnson photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Johnson photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A suspect involved in a fatal shooting&nbsp; is now in the Sedgwick County jail after moved from the hospital.Just after 6:30p.m. Wednesday, deputies booked 26-year-old DeAdrian Johnson on requested charges of first-degree murder, according to<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20048028"> online jail records.&nbsp;</a>Just after 11:15p.m. March 6, police responded to report of a shooting in the 1000 Block of North Volutstia in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.At the scene, officers located Johnson, Christopher Terrell and a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds. Though their investigation, police learned Johnson had been using drugs.&nbsp; He shot and killed Terrell, wounded the 16-year-old and then turned the gun on himself, according to Captain Stephens.Police arrested Johnson and are monitored him during his hospitalization.

Fatal Kan. shooting suspect moved from hospital to jail

SALINA—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.

He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.

Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."

On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.

Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.

Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576681996331.jpeg" alt="Hull photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Hull photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA—Law enforcement authorities are investigating the murder of a woman in Salina continue their search for a suspect identified as as 35-year-old Nelson Gerrod Hull.He is wanted for the February 23 shooting death of 36-year-old Courtney Ann Hoffman.&nbsp; The Saline County District Court issued an arrest warrant for Hull for murder in the first degree.Hull is described as a black male, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. A tattoo on the right side of his neck is "Mi Familia."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/2/1614348886825.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation Tuesday in Salina. photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>On Monday, police reported the arrest of Clarence Darnyl Brown, 34, of Salina, in connection with the case.&nbsp;Brown is being held on requested charges of Aiding and abetting first degree murder, Criminal solicitation and Interference with law enforcement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614629894498.png" alt="Clarence Brown&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Clarence Brown&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 11:30a.m. on February 23, police responded to the 700 block of North Fourth Street in Salina for a report of the sound of gunfire and someone screaming, according to a media release.Upon arrival, Salina Police Officers located a woman identified as Hoffman inside a vehicle at 731 N. 4th Street. She had a gunshot wound and was pronounced deceased by Salina Fire Department EMS personnel.Police say Hull should be considered armed and dangerous. They encourage anyone with information on Hull's current location to contact 911 immediately.

Search continues for suspect wanted for Salina woman's murder 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused in a home invasion sexual assault made his first court appearance Wednesday.

Antonio Riley, 38, from Oklahoma is charged with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated burglary, according to the Sedgwick County Attorney's office.

Just after 10:00 a.m. March 4, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help. The suspect was described as a black, male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200 pounds and bald.

On March 7, police located and arrested Riley, according to police Lt. Christian Cory.&nbsp;He remains jailed on a bond of $200,000, according to the district attorney. His next court appearance is March 25.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault case and asking the public for help to find a suspect.

Just after 10:00 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer&nbsp; Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614980294892.png" alt="Home video surveillance of the suspect&nbsp; -Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Home video surveillance of the suspect&nbsp; -Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused in a home invasion sexual assault made his first court appearance Wednesday.Antonio Riley, 38, from Oklahoma is charged with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy, attempted aggravated criminal sodomy, and aggravated burglary, according to the Sedgwick County Attorney's office.Just after 10:00 a.m. March 4, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615214618758.png" alt="Riley photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Riley photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help. The suspect was described as a black, male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200 pounds and bald.On March 7, police located and arrested Riley, according to police Lt. Christian Cory.&nbsp;He remains jailed on a bond of $200,000, according to the district attorney. His next court appearance is March 25.--------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault case and asking the public for help to find a suspect.Just after 10:00 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer&nbsp; Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help.

Suspect seen on Kan. doorbell camera charged with rape

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged animal cruelty and have made an arrest.

Just after 8p.m. Tuesday, police filed a report for theft, criminal damage to property and cruelty to animals in the 2800 block of W. 61st Avenue in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

A 39-year-old victim reported a 29-year-old male suspect put detergent in a fish tank resulting in the death of all coral and fish contained inside, and stole miscellaneous items. 

Police arrested&nbsp; 29-year-old Taylor Morris on requested charges of criminal damage to property, theft, and cruelty to animals. He is being held in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $6,000.00, according to the RCPD booking report.

RILEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged animal cruelty and have made an arrest.Just after 8p.m. Tuesday, police filed a report for theft, criminal damage to property and cruelty to animals in the 2800 block of W. 61st Avenue in Manhattan, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.A 39-year-old victim reported a 29-year-old male suspect put detergent in a fish tank resulting in the death of all coral and fish contained inside, and stole miscellaneous items. Police arrested&nbsp; 29-year-old Taylor Morris on requested charges of criminal damage to property, theft, and cruelty to animals. He is being held in the Riley County Jail on a total bond of $6,000.00, according to the RCPD booking report.

Theft suspect put detergent in Manhattan man's fish tank

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 5a.m. March 7, police responded to shooting at a home in the 4900 Block of East Elm in Wichita, according to Police Lt. Christian Cory.

At the scene, officers found a 21-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her neck. 

EMS transported her to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; Investigators later learned that the victim and her boyfriend Zaniriusz Chambers, 26, got into a disturbance. During the altercation, Chambers pulled out a handgun and shot her one time.

Police arrested Chambers at the scene and he is being h<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20052825">eld on requested charges</a> of aggravated battery, domestic violence, according to Cory.&nbsp; &nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615233068886.png" alt="Chambers photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Chambers photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting and have a suspect in custody.Just before 5a.m. March 7, police responded to shooting at a home in the 4900 Block of East Elm in Wichita, according to Police Lt. Christian Cory.At the scene, officers found a 21-year-old woman with a gunshot wound to her neck. EMS transported her to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries.&nbsp; Investigators later learned that the victim and her boyfriend Zaniriusz Chambers, 26, got into a disturbance. During the altercation, Chambers pulled out a handgun and shot her one time.Police arrested Chambers at the scene and he is being h<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=20052825">eld on requested charges</a> of aggravated battery, domestic violence, according to Cory.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Police: Kansas man shot girlfriend during dispute

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 26-year-old man was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in a shooting death of at a motel.

Steven T. Decker of Independence, MIssouri, was also charged with two counts of armed criminal action and two counts of robbery after the shooting early Monday at the Executive Inn and Suites.

According to court records, early Monday police officers were dispatched to the motel in Independence and found the victim, Tomas Galvan, in apparent blood behind the door to a room. 

A witness told police that the victim had called two men to come give him a ride. At some point, the men pulled guns and one shot the victim in the head. Before they fled, they grabbed the victim's property, including his phone. Surveillance video from the hotel showed them leaving in a vehicle that belonged to the defendant, according to the Jackson County Attorney's office.

School staff at the defendant's school told police Decker appeared to be crying when he picked up his son the same day and he stated he was going to prison for 25 years. When a detective contacted the defendant he sounded upset and said he never meant for this to happen.

Decker was arrested at his home Monday afternoon.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615377745665.png" alt="Decker photo Independence police" />
 <figcaption>Decker photo Independence police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A 26-year-old man was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder in a shooting death of at a motel.Steven T. Decker of Independence, MIssouri, was also charged with two counts of armed criminal action and two counts of robbery after the shooting early Monday at the Executive Inn and Suites.According to court records, early Monday police officers were dispatched to the motel in Independence and found the victim, Tomas Galvan, in apparent blood behind the door to a room. A witness told police that the victim had called two men to come give him a ride. At some point, the men pulled guns and one shot the victim in the head. Before they fled, they grabbed the victim's property, including his phone. Surveillance video from the hotel showed them leaving in a vehicle that belonged to the defendant, according to the Jackson County Attorney's office.School staff at the defendant's school told police Decker appeared to be crying when he picked up his son the same day and he stated he was going to prison for 25 years. When a detective contacted the defendant he sounded upset and said he never meant for this to happen.Decker was arrested at his home Monday afternoon.

Charges filed in man's death at suburban Kansas City hotel

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon accused in a March 3 shooting death in Wichita made his first court appearance Monday.

Michael Swinney was charged with second degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just before 1a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a home in the 2400 Block of North Sunny Lane in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Captain Jason Stephens.&nbsp; In the backyard of that location, police located 22-year-old Jacob Kalese with several gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The investigation revealed Kalese, his girlfriend and the 41-year-old Swinney were at a small gathering at the home with several other individuals.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between Swinney and Kalese, multiple shots were fired and&nbsp; Swinney fled the scene.

Through the investigation, investigators learned of Swinney’s involvement and he was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a home in the 100 block of South Young in Wichita without incident, according to Davidson.

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in the backyard of a home during a small gathering in Wichita have arrested&nbsp;41-year-old Michael Swinney, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The investigation revealed Kalese, his girlfriend and Swinney were at a small gathering at the home with several other individuals.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between Swinney and Kalese, multiple shots were fired and&nbsp; Swinney fled the scene.

Swinney is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, an arrest and detain order through the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), and outstanding warrants, according to Davidson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614870081716.png" alt="Swinney has numerous convictions that include aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of the offender registration act and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections- photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Swinney has numerous convictions that include aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal possession of a firearm, violation of the offender registration act and for drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections- photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas felon accused in a March 3 shooting death in Wichita made his first court appearance Monday.Michael Swinney was charged with second degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just before 1a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a home in the 2400 Block of North Sunny Lane in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Captain Jason Stephens.&nbsp; In the backyard of that location, police located 22-year-old Jacob Kalese with several gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614789091458.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Wednesday morning shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Wednesday morning shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed Kalese, his girlfriend and the 41-year-old Swinney were at a small gathering at the home with several other individuals.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between Swinney and Kalese, multiple shots were fired and&nbsp; Swinney fled the scene.Through the investigation, investigators learned of Swinney’s involvement and he was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a home in the 100 block of South Young in Wichita without incident, according to Davidson.&nbsp;&nbsp;----------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal shooting in the backyard of a home during a small gathering in Wichita have arrested&nbsp;41-year-old Michael Swinney, according to officer Charley Davidson.Just before 1a.m. Wednesday,&nbsp; police responded to a home in the 2400 Block of North Sunny Lane in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Captain Jason Stephens.&nbsp; In the backyard of that location, police located 22-year-old Jacob Kalese with several gunshot wounds.&nbsp; EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614789091458.png" alt="Police on the scene of the Wednesday morning shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the Wednesday morning shooting investigation photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The investigation revealed Kalese, his girlfriend and Swinney were at a small gathering at the home with several other individuals.&nbsp; A disturbance occurred between Swinney and Kalese, multiple shots were fired and&nbsp; Swinney fled the scene.Through the investigation, investigators learned of Swinney’s involvement and he was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a home in the 100 block of South Young in Wichita without incident, according to Davidson.Swinney is being held on requested charges of first-degree murder, an arrest and detain order through the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), and outstanding warrants, according to Davidson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. man charged with murder for shooting at backyard gathering 

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and the suspect in custody remains in the hospital.

At the scene, officers located DeAdrian Johnson, Christopher Terrell and a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds. Though their investigation, police learned Johnson had been using drugs.&nbsp; He shot and killed Terrell, wounded the 16-year-old and then turned the gun on himself, according to Captain Stephens.

Police arrested Johnson and are monitoring him as he remains hospitalized.&nbsp; If he is released, police will book him for 2nd degree murder charges, according to Stephens.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and the suspect in custody remains in the hospital.Just after 11:15p.m. March 6, police responded to report of a shooting in the 1000 Block of North Volutstia in Wichita, according to Police Captain Jason Stephens.At the scene, officers located DeAdrian Johnson, Christopher Terrell and a 16-year-old with gunshot wounds. Though their investigation, police learned Johnson had been using drugs.&nbsp; He shot and killed Terrell, wounded the 16-year-old and then turned the gun on himself, according to Captain Stephens.Police arrested Johnson and are monitoring him as he remains hospitalized.&nbsp; If he is released, police will book him for 2nd degree murder charges, according to Stephens.

Police: Suspect in fatal Kan. shooting remains hospitalized

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A southwest Missouri man who is charged with threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver will remain in jail, a federal judge ruled Monday.

Kenneth R. Hubert, 63, of Marionville, was charged last week with threatening Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat who represents a district that includes part of the Kansas City area. He pleaded not guilty on Monday.

Prosecutors said Hubert left a voicemail Jan. 7 at Cleaver's office in Independence in which he used a racial slur and said, “How about a noose ... around his neck?” Cleaver is Black.

“Mr. Hubert, words have meaning,” Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush told Hubert. “And your words rise to the level of posing a danger.”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark said Hubert has made similar threats to other politicians, a federal judge and political organizations dating back to 2014.

In a motion filed before the hearing, prosecutors contended Hubert had a history of “complete disregard” for law enforcement, which had tried to stop him from making harassing calls. They contended he was a flight risk who could intimidate witnesses.

David Mercer, Hubert’s public defender, argued Hubert has no criminal record, was not a flight risk and had medical conditions that would put him at high risk of contracting COVID-19 if he was jailed. Mercer said Hubert was willing to serve house arrest.

“It has definitely gotten his attention,” Mercer said of Hubert’s arrest.

Among other incidents, prosecutors said Hubert was investigated for making threatening calls to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in St. Louis; U.S. Rep. Steven Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee; and the Missouri Democratic Party.

Hubert told FBI agents investigating his call to Cleaver that he was also previously investigated by the U.S. Secret Service for saying President Barack Obama “needed to be hanged from a light post,” according to prosecutors.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614858198513.png" alt="Hubert photo Greene Co. Jail" />
 <figcaption>Hubert photo Greene Co. Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — A southwest Missouri man who is charged with threatening to kill U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver will remain in jail, a federal judge ruled Monday.Kenneth R. Hubert, 63, of Marionville, was charged last week with threatening Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat who represents a district that includes part of the Kansas City area. He pleaded not guilty on Monday.Prosecutors said Hubert left a voicemail Jan. 7 at Cleaver's office in Independence in which he used a racial slur and said, “How about a noose ... around his neck?” Cleaver is Black.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1564430219299.png" alt="Rep. Emanuel Cleaver " />
 <figcaption>Rep. Emanuel Cleaver </figcaption>
 </figure>“Mr. Hubert, words have meaning,” Chief Magistrate Judge David P. Rush told Hubert. “And your words rise to the level of posing a danger.”Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark said Hubert has made similar threats to other politicians, a federal judge and political organizations dating back to 2014.In a motion filed before the hearing, prosecutors contended Hubert had a history of “complete disregard” for law enforcement, which had tried to stop him from making harassing calls. They contended he was a flight risk who could intimidate witnesses.David Mercer, Hubert’s public defender, argued Hubert has no criminal record, was not a flight risk and had medical conditions that would put him at high risk of contracting COVID-19 if he was jailed. Mercer said Hubert was willing to serve house arrest.“It has definitely gotten his attention,” Mercer said of Hubert’s arrest.Among other incidents, prosecutors said Hubert was investigated for making threatening calls to the Council on American-Islamic Relations in St. Louis; U.S. Rep. Steven Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee; and the Missouri Democratic Party.Hubert told FBI agents investigating his call to Cleaver that he was also previously investigated by the U.S. Secret Service for saying President Barack Obama “needed to be hanged from a light post,” according to prosecutors.

Man accused of threatening KC-area Congressman will remain in jail

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man is in custody after a child died in a hit-and-run in Wichita. Police arrested Marcus Downey Monday on potential charges of felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license. 

The 4-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck when he and his mother were crossing a street in downtown Wichita Monday morning. He died at a Wichita hospital. Capt. Wendell Nicholson said the truck fled the scene but was found about 100 yards away. The boy's mother was not injured

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615254271840.png" alt="Downey photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Downey photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A 32-year-old man is in custody after a child died in a hit-and-run in Wichita. Police arrested Marcus Downey Monday on potential charges of felony hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615252494342.png" alt="Police near the accident scene Monday photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police near the accident scene Monday photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>The 4-year-old boy was struck by a pickup truck when he and his mother were crossing a street in downtown Wichita Monday morning. He died at a Wichita hospital. Capt. Wendell Nicholson said the truck fled the scene but was found about 100 yards away. The boy's mother was not injured

Kan. man arrested after 4-year-old killed in hit-and-run

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 8:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to a disturbance at the Royal Lodge motel, 320 East Kellogg Street in Wichita, according to police Lt. Christian Cory.

A 23-year-old woman at the scene told police she left a business downtown when a suspect approached and walked her to the motel where she was sexually assaulted.

Investigators later learned of the involvement of 47-year-old Anthony Douglas of Wichita who is a registered sex offender.

On Sunday afternoon, police located Douglas at the business in the 100 Block of North Mosley and arrested him on requested charges of rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and possession of marijuana, according to Cory.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615236375927.png" alt="Douglas photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Douglas photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault and have a suspect in custody.Just before 8:30a.m. Sunday, police responded to a disturbance at the Royal Lodge motel, 320 East Kellogg Street in Wichita, according to police Lt. Christian Cory.A 23-year-old woman at the scene told police she left a business downtown when a suspect approached and walked her to the motel where she was sexually assaulted.Investigators later learned of the involvement of 47-year-old Anthony Douglas of Wichita who is a registered sex offender.On Sunday afternoon, police located Douglas at the business in the 100 Block of North Mosley and arrested him on requested charges of rape, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and possession of marijuana, according to Cory.

Registed Kansas sex offender arrested for alleged rape

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a sexual assault have made an arrest.

On Sunday police located and arrested 38-year-old Antonio Riley from Oklahoma, according to police Lt. Christian Cory. He is being held on requested charges of rape, aggravated burglary, criminal sodomy, kidnapping, drug charges and an active warrant.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614980294892.png" alt="Home video surveillance of the suspect&nbsp; -Wichita Police" />
 <figcaption>Home video surveillance of the suspect&nbsp; -Wichita Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a sexual assault have made an arrest.Just after 10:00 a.m. March 4, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer Paul Cruz.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1615214618758.png" alt="Riley photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Riley photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help. The suspect was described as a black, male, 5-foot-10 inches tall, approximately 200 pounds and bald.On Sunday police located and arrested 38-year-old Antonio Riley from Oklahoma, according to police Lt. Christian Cory. He is being held on requested charges of rape, aggravated burglary, criminal sodomy, kidnapping, drug charges and an active warrant.--------SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a sexual assault case and asking the public for help to find a suspect.Just after 10:00 a.m. Thursday, police were dispatched to report of a sexual assault&nbsp; that occurred at 1500 block of West Pawnee in Wichita, according to officer&nbsp; Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, officers contacted a 21-year-old female victim who reported an unknown suspect knocking on her front door. When the victim opened the door, the suspect produced a knife and forced his way into the residence, and sexually assaulted her. The victims left the residence and called 911 for help.

Police arrest Kansas rape suspect seen on doorbell camera

HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged aggravated kidnapping and other possible charges after a traffic stop in Harvey County.

HARVEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged aggravated kidnapping and other possible charges after a traffic stop in Harvey County.Just before 7:30a.m Monday, dispatchers advised that a female caller reported&nbsp; she had been beaten and was being kidnapped by a man in a stolen vehicle, according to a media release.Officers from the Harvey County Sheriff's Office, Newton police and Hesston police stopped the vehicle at Casey's on Lincoln Blvd in Hesston. Officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop, which involves officers displaying their weapons to maintain safety for all parties involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;The occupants of the vehicle complied and officers arrested the male driver and booked him into the Harvey County Detention Center on requested charges including Aggravated Kidnapping and Domestic Battery. The suspect and victim were acquaintances. Authorities have not released the name of the suspect.&nbsp; Deputies also discovered the vehicle&nbsp; had an altered VIN and was previously reported as stolen.&nbsp;&nbsp;