WICHITA, Kan. – A 31-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot by a Wichita police officer while allegedly assaulting a woman inside a vehicle on the city’s southwest side early Friday morning.
According to the Wichita Police Department (WPD), the situation began around 4:20 a.m. when Sedgwick County dispatch received an open-line 911 call—a call where no one speaks, but background noise is audible—from the area of MacArthur Road and West Street.
Dispatchers reported hearing a disturbance and a woman crying for help.
Using phone data and sound location, dispatchers traced the call to the 4600 block of West 37th Street South, where responding officers arrived shortly after.
Officers Witness Suspect Assaulting Woman Inside Vehicle
At the scene, officers located a damaged vehicle and observed a man physically assaulting a woman inside. According to WPD, the man noticed the officers approaching, then climbed into the driver’s seat in an apparent attempt to flee.
“One WPD officer fired two rounds from a handgun,” the department said in its release. “The suspect was struck twice but continued to flee the scene.”
Suspect Found and Hospitalized in Critical Condition
The vehicle was later located near a business at K-42 and West Street. Officers found the suspect inside the vehicle suffering from two gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
His name has not been publicly released as of Friday afternoon.
The female victim sustained a minor injury but reportedly refused medical treatment at the scene.
Investigation Transferred to Sheriff’s Office
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office is now leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. A spokesperson stated that the case is still in its early investigative stages, and more details will be shared when available.
The WPD officer involved in the shooting has not been identified, and it is unclear whether they have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation—a standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
What began as a disturbing 911 call with cries for help quickly escalated into a violent confrontation resulting in an officer discharging their weapon.
As the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office works to determine what led to the use of force, the case underscores the dangerous nature of domestic violence calls and the split-second decisions officers must make in volatile situations.
Officials urge anyone with additional information to contact law enforcement as the investigation continues.