Wichita police officer fired for ‘failing to turn in evidence’ and insubordination

A Wichita police officer has been fired for not turning in evidence and insubordination, Wichita police Capt. Travis Easter said.

The officer had been with the department less than four years before being terminated last fall.

Information given to the department’s Citizen’s Review Board mentions two separate incidents involving the same officer. One says the officer was “investigated for failing to turn in evidence,” and the other cites “improper handling of evidence and insubordination.”

“Not following the directive from a supervisor in reference to a call,” Easter said of the insubordination.

When asked for more information last week, Easter replied with an email saying he couldn’t say more because that would not be “following procedures or the direction to do so.”

The department’s internal investigators opened the case September 1, 2022, and closed it Oct. 11, 2022.

The scant details are a contrast to the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office handling earlier this month of an investigation that started with a complaint of officers drawing their firearms on other officers. In that case, two officers were fired, one resigned and a supervisor was suspended.