A Wyandotte County deputy was shot shortly after 1 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, and a search is underway in the Turner area, according to a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
“The deputy is in critical condition but we are optimistic at this time,” Lt. Kelli Bailiff, spokeswoman for the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, said.
She said the deputy had just got off duty and went into a convenience store near 44th and Shawnee Drive in Kansas City, Kan., and was at the counter to pay when individuals came into the store. He was shot numerous times, she said. It was about 1:15 a.m. March 4, according to a police spokesman.
The suspects left in a vehicle, and officers were able to locate an abandoned vehicle that may have been related to the incident, the sheriff’s spokeswoman said. A perimeter was set up around the vehicle.
The Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department are working together aggressively to hunt the suspects, she said.
Law enforcement is hoping that now that it’s daylight, the search will go better, she said, and hoping that if people see something suspicious, they will call 911.
She said residents should not leave cars running and unoccupied so that vehicles will not be stolen. They should be on the alert, she said.
An active search was in the Turner area, concentrated in the 44th and Shawnee Drive area, including a door-to-door search in part of the area, she said.
Schools are in session as usual, with a large officer presence around the school, she said.
Authorities will review surveillance tapes at the store to help the search, she said.
There were other robberies last night, but at this time the Sheriff’s Department is not confirming if they are related or not, she said.
Two persons of interest were taken into custody this morning, according to the police spokesman.
The Kansas City, Kan., Police Department’s major case unit is investigating. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.