Family: 18-year-old’s ‘own actions ended his life too soon’

The family of an 18-year-old man shot to death by a Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputy earlier this week after he pointed a gun during a traffic stop issued a statement Saturday saying he was “a caring, loving soul” but acknowledged that “his troubles were a concern.”

Caleb Douglas was shot after he was pulled over at 1:10 a.m. on Thursday on Tyler Road in west Wichita, authorities have said. The deputy had activated his dashboard camera and had begun following Douglas a minute earlier, suspecting he was impaired.

The driver crossed the center line several times and straddled lanes, according to an account released by the sheriff’s office. At 1:11 a.m., the deputy asked Douglas to step outside his vehicle. Seconds later, Douglas pointed a handgun at the deputy’s face.

The deputy rapidly moved away from the car as “the driver stuck the gun out of the window with both hands placed on the handgun and pointed it at the deputy,” the sheriff’s office said in a written account released to media.

At 1:11 and 39 seconds, the deputy fired at the driver, according to the sheriff’s office statement. The man then drove away, heading north on Tyler as the deputy called for help.

About two minutes later, the fleeing car was found four blocks to the north, where it had struck a house. The car engine caught fire, the sheriff’s office statement said.

The driver was taken with critical injuries to a hospital, where he later died.

“The family of 18-year-old Caleb Douglas mourns the loss of their son, brother and grandson,” said the statement released by the family, which went on to say that Caleb pointing the gun caused “the deputy to fire his own weapon in self-defense.”

“Norman (Caleb’s father), his wife Jennifer (Caleb’s mother) and their remaining children remember Caleb as a caring, loving soul, but acknowledge that his troubles were a concern. They are devastated that Caleb’s own actions ended his life too soon.”

The family is cooperating with the law enforcement investigation, the statement said, adding that it has “the utmost confidence in the men and women investigating the case. The Douglas family expects to see the situation resolved quickly and properly.”

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting the sheriff’s office in investigating the case. A loaded handgun was found in the car after the shooting. The crash scene was on the northwest corner of Tyler and Nantucket in the 1500 block of North Tyler.

The deputy involved has been with the department for 14 months and had worked in law enforcement for seven years before that, authorities have said.

The family’s statement asked for continued privacy, adding that it “appreciates your concern, prayers and condolences during this difficult time.”

Caleb Douglas’ funeral will be on Wednesday, his father said.

This story was originally published September 3, 2016 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Family: 18-year-old’s ‘own actions ended his life too soon’."