The domestic violence call that turned into a fatal shooting incident this past Saturday, which left four officers injured, was felt beyond just their respective departments.
Emporia Police Chief Ed Owens, on the most recent installment of KVOE’s Monthly Q&A segment, says anytime an officer is injured or killed in the line of duty, it impacts all law enforcement agencies, including Emporia.
Owens also noted Tuesday that the recent shooting incident is just the latest in a trend of violence that has shaken law enforcement departments across the state of Kansas. This year, four Kansas law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty, two of whom were responding to domestic situations, with the most recent being Sergeant Scott William Heimann of the Hays Police Department, who was shot while responding to a domestic violence incident in September.
In July, Wyandotte Sheriff’s Deputy Elijah Ming was killed by a suspect while responding to a request for a civil standby for a woman to move out of a home after being threatened by a man with a gun. Chief Owens notes that when it comes to domestic violence situations, officers never truly know what they may be walking into, noting the situation can escalate very quickly.
When asked what he believes is leading to the recent trend of fatal incidents involving officers over the last year, Owens stated he believes mental health has a large part to play in it. With that in mind, he stated the importance of constantly educating and training officers to be as prepared as possible for any situation that could develop when on a call, not only for domestic situations but any and all scenarios that could place an officer’s life in danger.
In recent years, Owens says there has been a much larger emphasis placed on de-escalation training.
Owens used the example of de-escalation training to emphasize how law enforcement is continuously evolving its understanding and education of how to respond to various life-threatening scenarios.
Unlike the other incidents mentioned, the four officers injured in this past Saturday’s shooting in Osage County survived the ordeal and were each taken to hospitals after. The officers include Deputy Christian Moran, Corporal Clayton Hartpence and K-9 Deputy James Cason of the Osage County Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Adam Ellis.
Residents can assist all individuals with their respective recoveries. Residents can donate money to the Osage County Sheriff Support Fund, either dropping off or mailing payments to Lyndon State Bank, PO Box 518, 817 Topeka Avenue, Lyndon, Kansas, ZIP 66451. Residents can also drop off or mail items like gift cards and snacks to the Osage County Sheriff’s Office, PO Box 639, 131 West 14th in Lyndon.
Residents wanting to help defray medical expenses for Ellis can go online to kstroopers.com/donate, select “Kansas Troopers Foundation” and then type “Ellis” in the other comments box.
