Police ID man fatally shot by officers

Wichita police identified the man shot and killed Saturday in an officer-involved shooting that also claimed the life of a police dog as 25-year-old Kevin C. Perry of Wichita.

Rooster, one of the Wichita Police Department’s canines, also died after being hit with a bullet in his neck and shoulder area. He is the first Wichita police dog slain in the line of duty, Chief Gordon Ramsay said during a news briefing on Monday.

Rooster served with the department for five years. He “died very quickly after being shot,” the chief said.

“It is unfortunate for everybody involved – the suspect’s family and loved ones and friends, as well as the officers that were involved in this and especially the handler of Rooster,” he said.

“This handler deeply loves this dog, as do all of our handlers. They become part of their family. I’m sure if there was anything he could have done to prevent the dog’s death,” he would have, Ramsay said.

Ramsay said officers responded to Lamplighter Mobile Home Park, 2320 E. MacArthur, at 7:51 p.m. Saturday after a woman called 911, saying Perry had pointed at gun at her, threatened to kill her and had held her hostage. He had also threatened suicide.

The couple “was in some sort of relationship” and there was a dispute over money or an item between them that day, Ramsay said.

The woman met officers outside a mobile home in Lot A68 about 10 minutes after the calls.

“She told them that the suspect inside of the home was armed,” Ramsay said.

“As the officers were taking her statement, they began formulating a plan on how to get the subject out of the house peacefully when he exited the home.”

Perry unexpectedly came out with his hands up at 8:28 p.m. and walked toward officers, Ramsay said, but then dropped his hands and turned around to go back inside.

It was then that Rooster’s handler released him with commands to stop Perry.

“We don’t like subjects to go back into the house … and potentially have access to weapons,” Ramsay said.

Immediately after he turned to leave, one of the officers noticed a gun tucked into the back of Perry’s waistband and shouted a warning so others were aware of the weapon.

By then, Rooster had grabbed Perry’s leg, preventing him from retreating further. Perry turned back toward the officers and reached for his gun, prompting police to fire at him at about the same time Perry is thought to have discharged his weapon, Ramsay said.

Ramsay said one police officer, an 11-year veteran of the department, shot four rounds after seeing Perry reach for the weapon.

The second officer, a two-year veteran, shot three times after seeing a muzzle flash from Perry’s handgun, he said.

Perry was pronounced dead at a Wichita hospital at 9:18 p.m., according to Ramsay and police records.

Both of the officers were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation, which follows the department’s policy in officer-involved shootings. The Wichita Police Department, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the case, Ramsay said.

Ramsay said, based on a review of video footage captured during Saturday’s events and evidence collected, it appears Perry’s bullet hit Rooster.

But, he said, a necropsy – an autopsy performed on an animal – will determine which weapon actually fired the fatal shots.

“The dog did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Ramsay said. He added: “We didn’t determine the outcome. The suspect (Perry) determined the outcome in this case.”

Although Rooster was one of the police canines that showcased new ballistics vests for dogs a few years ago, Ramsay said he was not wearing one at the time of the shooting.

The dog’s handler, he said, did not have time to put one on Rooster and didn’t know Perry was armed when the dog was released.

“These vests are hot and heavy,” Ramsay said. “The … K-9 officers train in them and get the dogs used to them.

“But the reality is just like we don’t really like to wear the vests, the dogs don’t, either. The dogs begin to chew on them … after a time. And we just don’t keep them on them at all times.”

He added that it wasn’t immediately clear whether having one on would have saved Rooster’s life.

This story was originally published March 20, 2017 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Police ID man fatally shot by officers."