Pratt police officers shoot man who threatened to kill them

A resident who threatened to kill police officers while brandishing a large hunting knife and an ax handle was shot by officers outside an apartment complex, according to a news release from the Pratt Police Department.

According to the news release, officers were dispatched Saturday night to an apartment complex in the 1100 block of Stout Street to investigate a report of a disturbance and people yelling. Upon arrival, officers were confronted in the street by a 45-year-old man, later identified as Bradley G. Verstraete, wielding the two weapons.

Officers gave repeated commands to drop the weapons, but Verstraete became increasingly aggressive toward the officers. One of the officers used a Taser in an attempt to subdue the man, but it was ineffective and Verstraete continued to charge at the officers while threatening to kill them.

The officers then shot Verstraete, who was transported to an area hospital in critical but stable condition. The release does not indicate where or how many times Verstraete was shot or by whom, but it does say both officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave per department policy pending the conclusion of an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

A spokeswoman for the Law Enforcement Center in Pratt said no further information would be released Sunday.

Verstraete has multiple past convictions in Reno County, including in 1989 for burglary, 2002 for possession of drugs and 2011 for battery of a law enforcement officer. He was last discharged from jail in March 2012.

This story was originally published February 2, 2015 at 5:56 AM with the headline "Pratt police officers shoot man who threatened to kill them."