The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says three deputies were shot and a Highway Patrol trooper was bitten as part of an incident that developed in Ford County on Monday.
The incident apparently developed in Clark County, immediately south of Ford County. The KBI says Clark County deputies noticed a blue pickup driving through Minneola, about 25 miles due south of Dodge City. The pickup was notable because it matched the description of a vehicle used in a double homicide in Phoenix, Arizona from Sunday. Deputies tried to make a traffic stop, but the truck’s two occupants fled with deputies and troopers ultimately giving chase.
Once the truck stopped in Dodge City, there was gunfire between at least one person in the truck and deputies from both Clark County and Ford County. One of the suspects, 39-year-old Leroy Malone of Phoenix, was hit at least twice by bullets and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a currently unnamed woman, was also hit at least twice and was taken to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita with critical injuries.
Two Ford County deputies were shot. One was taken to an unspecified Wichita hospital with serious injuries. The other was treated for shrapnel injuries at an unspecified area hospital and was released Monday.
A Clark County deputy was shot twice and was taken to an unspecified Wichita hospital with serious injuries. The trooper was bitten by a police K-9, taken to an unlisted hospital afterward and is in good condition after surgery.
The KBI says there will be a “thorough and independent” investigation, with results sent to the Ford County Attorney’s Office for review and possible charges.
