A sheriff’s deputy in Kansas, United States, was shot and killed while responding to a distress call involving domestic violence, throwing the community into mourning.
Deputy Elijah Ming, a 34-year-old officer with nearly a decade of service under the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, was gunned down on Saturday, July 26, while attending to a report of a woman being threatened at gunpoint.
The emergency call came from a woman who had returned to a residence in southwest Kansas City to retrieve her belongings when “a male at the residence threatened her with a gun.” Law enforcement responded at approximately 3:45 p.m., but as Deputy Ming and a Kansas City police officer approached the home, the suspect, later identified as 38-year-old Shawn Harris, “began firing at the officers without warning.”
Deputy Ming was struck in the gunfire and rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died despite extensive efforts to save him. The police officer who accompanied him was not injured.
Following the incident, additional officers arrived, prompting Harris to barricade himself inside the house. A tense one-hour standoff ensued as negotiators communicated with the suspect by phone. Eventually, Harris was shot during the confrontation and taken into custody. He was transported to the hospital in stable condition and later arrested on Sunday, July 27. Authorities say he is being held without bond.
Sheriff Daniel Soptic, while confirming the incident, said Deputy Ming was “a beloved member” of the force who “gave his life serving Wyandotte County and all of its residents.” Mayor Tyrone Garner echoed this sentiment, calling for prayers and support for the late officer’s family and colleagues during this “painful and tragic time.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation, now leading the inquiry, will forward its findings to prosecutors to determine the appropriate charges, according to ABC News.
The killing of Deputy Ming has cast a dark cloud over the community, with local officials and residents struggling to come to terms with the brutal loss of a man described as courageous, committed, and selfless in service.